Big Gay Story
by The Slashtastics
Summary: Edward meets Jasper and... that's all we know. Join us as the story unfolds before our eyes with a new author adding their touch and twists to each chapter. The possibilities are endless, but the boy love will be plentiful. This is going to be fun!
1. Yogagal

**A/N:** So...here it is! The inaugural effort at a "round robin" type slashy fic from The Slashtastics. We hope you hop on board our boylovin' train and join us for this crazy collaborative adventure. **Yogagal** took the plunge and wrote chapter 1. For future chapters the author's name will be the chapter title, so you'll know who's at the helm for each one.

I have to thank PerfectlyPersuasive and ICMezzo for beta-ing this chapter for me and for BMango for the preread. All mistakes left are totally my own

_Disclaimer: We don't own these characters, we just like seeing the boys kiss._

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Edward looked down at his watch for the third time. He figured he couldn't put off the inevitable any longer, and made his way inside the conference room, almost dreading what he would find there. As he walked in, he found a quiet corner to hide out in and surveyed the scene before him. The conference room had been given a make over. The familiar oval table and dark walnut chairs that surrounded it had been removed. In their stead was a long rectangular table covered in a red and green plaid plastic tablecloth. Where laptops and notebooks usually sat, trays of food had been carefully laid out amidst tiny potted poinsettias. Music was being piped in from somewhere and the crooning voice of Bing Crosby let everyone know that he was dreaming of a White Christmas. Edward grimaced, but decided that he'd take Bing over the bastardized Christmas muzac he'd been subjected to for the entire month of December in his office building's elevator.

Trying his best to ignore the music, Edward continued to look around the room. A large poster of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was positioned over the window that normally looked out over the city of Seattle. However, Rudolph's red nose was nowhere to be found, with the assumption that folks would gather and try to pin it on while blindfolded later in the evening. Most people who had already arrived made sure to avoid that area until after they had enjoyed their first and perhaps even second drink. Edward knew he would be avoiding that area at all costs, since he was no longer a five year old and didn't feel like pinning _anything_ on Rudolph.

Away from the poster, stuck in the corner of the room was a Christmas tree. With the pine fresh smell that lingered in the air, most people thought it was a real tree, and as they walked by remarked at how fresh it seemed this far into the season. Had they looked just a little bit closer they would have noticed that the needles were in fact plastic, and the slightly off smell of pine came courtesy of an air freshener discreetly plugged in behind the tree. Edward shook his head as he took this all in. The tree itself was adorned with all sorts of shimmering ornaments, carefully straddling the line between gaudy and tacky. In addition to the tree, red and green strips of crepe paper were intertwined and strung across the ceiling. They were hanging just low enough so that Ben from accounting actually got twisted up in some as he walked in.

"Oops, sorry Ben!" Alice exclaimed, looking sheepish. She handed him some bright red punch topped off with a candy cane. "I probably should stand on a chair next time I string these."

Ben shook his head, but gave Alice a quick wink before walking away to sample a pig-in-a-blanket that he noticed across the room. After cleaning up the torn streamers, Alice spotted Edward and turned her attention on him, eager to engage him in conversation. Edward, however, was less than enthusiastic to do so. He wasn't quite sure why they were having a Christmas party in January. He was even less sure why the party was scheduled for the Monday after New Year's eve. His head still throbbed painfully from what was one of the longest and worst weekends of his life. As Alice continued to yammer on, Edward squeezed his eyes shut and brought his right hand up to rub at his pounding temple. It seemed to do the trick for the moment and he ended up catching the tail end of what Alice was saying.

"...and so I told Marcus that although retro was a little overdone that I would of course be happy to help him out, and voilà..." she trailed off, her hands gesturing wildly to the room they were standing in.

Edward blinked as he took in the decorated room. It was definitely...something. The room certainly didn't offend him, but Edward simply wasn't a man who thought that a retro party was ironic in the same way that many of his coworkers did. Retro might have been the new 'hip' thing to do, but just because they worked for an up and coming graphic design firm did not automatically make them hipsters. Well, it didn't necessarily make _all _of them hipsters, Edward thought as he looked down at his faded jeans and white button down shirt. Of course, glancing across the room, Edward noticed what he thought was his coworker Maggie's silent judgment of his relatively bland clothes. Perhaps if he wore a cardigan, a pair of skinny jeans and cut his hair so it resembled the love child of Justin Bieber and a lesbian he wouldn't be subject to all the holier-than-thou appraisal he seemed to garner at work.

Realizing he had yet to say anything, Edward remained quiet, offering Alice a shaky smile to fill the awkward silence that had fallen upon them. The bright grin that had been plastered to Alice's face began to fall, and Edward knew he had screwed up. He never had the right thing to say. He wracked his brain for something and had just started to speak when Alice interrupted him.

"Oh, um... I see you made sure to include fruitcake. That's always..." Edward trailed off.

"Jasper!" squealed Alice as she left Edward and ran to the door.

Alice's shriek pierced Edward's already throbbing head, making it hurt worse. He didn't bother checking to see who she ran toward, and instead he made his way to the punch, hoping it was spiked. He ladled some into a paper cup and found an empty chair in the corner, away from most everyone. His head was still pulsing, so he closed his eyes and took a sip of punch. Unfortunately, it wasn't spiked, but it was cold and went down smoothly. As a new song came on, Edward did his best to distract himself by humming along to the lyrics. His hums soon turned into words as he sang along.

"Feliz navidad. Feliz navidad. Feliz navidad. Pro._.."_ Edward trailed off, realizing he actually didn't know all the words.

He heard laughter and looked up to see Mike Newton staring at him. Edward hoped that if he remained silent that Mike would just move on, finding somebody else to annoy. Unfortunately, Mike had other plans. He plopped himself down into a nearby empty seat and playfully punched Edward on his shoulder.

"Merry Christmas, brah."

Edward cringed internally and wasn't even that concerned with whether or not Mike noticed. Mike was always trying to start up conversation with Edward, and Edward was always trying to do his best to rebuff it. It helped that Mike worked in IT and Edward's computers actually behaved themselves for the most part. But invariably Mike would find ways to come into his office for a quick chat. Edward was not interested in the talk of sports, booze, or women Mike always had to share.

"First of all," he answered Mike. "I'm not your 'brah.' Second of all, you know it's not actually Christmas, right? I mean, hell. It's not even New Years anymore."

Edward shook his head, as he pushed the sleeves of his button down shirt up before crossing his arms over his chest. Mike seemed to disregard everything Edward just said and instead started talking again.

"Did you get new ink, brah?" he asked, taking in the lion that now graced Edward's right forearm. "Righteous."

Edward grunted in response, which Mike took as a sign to keep speaking.

"Yeah. I have a tribal arm band which is hella cool, but I want to get something else. Jessy keeps pestering me to get her name or something, but I keep telling her to cool it. You know how chicks can be, am I right?"

Mike grinned at Edward, but instead of encouraging him, Edward tuned him out. Mike didn't seem to notice and continued his monologue on tattoos. Instead of listening to Mike's story about wanting a flaming dragon across his entire back, Edward focused in on the sound of somebody laughing. The laugh was unfamiliar, but it grabbed Edward's attention. Granted, anything was better than listening to Mike drone on about things he knew nothing about, but something about that laugh made Edward want to know more. It was loud, cheerful, and almost sexy, nothing like Mike's annoying bray of a laugh.

Edward scanned the room, trying to figure out who it was. He saw his boss Marcus over by the punch bowl talking with Lauren from HR. When Lauren saw him looking at her, she thrust her tongue out, moistening her garishly painted lips. When she opened her mouth, he noticed the same hot pink color staining her front teeth. Shuddering, he quickly looked away, still on his quest to find the owner of that laugh. He was certain it wasn't Ben, who was now lounging against the wall chatting up Angela, one of the office administrators. Angela apparently knew where the booze was, because her eyes were a bit glassy and her skin was flushed red. Edward guessed they'd end up in the copy room before the end of the night. He would definitely need to wipe down the copier the next day.

After looking over almost the entire room, he heard the laughter again, this time closer. Edward looked over towards the buffet and saw Alice talking to somebody he didn't recognize. The man was tall and slender, with a mop of blond hair on his head. Edward couldn't see his face from where he was sitting, but he had no problem looking at the man's backside. The blond man's dark wash jeans hugged him in all the right places and Edward had a hard time not staring. Another laugh chimed out, snapping Edward out of his haze.

The first thing he noticed was Alice's hand gripping the man's arm. Edward pouted, figuring that the blond with the fine ass was a lost cause. Now he had to sit back and listen to Mike prattle on about something inane again. When he turned and looked over at Mike, Edward was pleased to find that he was already gone, having left while he was busy staring at the new guy. Edward didn't dwell on it for too long, hoping Mike's absence was permanent, and instead, took another gulp of his punch.

With nothing better to do, his gaze returned to the blond. He struggled to remember the name Alice had called out earlier.  
_  
Jefferson... Jonathon... James... Jasper! _

Without being able to see his face, Edward was unable to decide if he looked like a Jasper. Instead, he focused on what he could see. The dark wash jeans ended with a pair of well worn brown leather boots. Edward wondered if they were for show, or if the man was actually a cowboy. With a snort, Edward shook his head, knowing that the likelihood of a real cowboy up in the Northwest was probably slim to none. However, it was that very slight chance that pushed Edward to keep looking, for he wasn't sure he could continue in good conscience if he thought the man was wearing the cowboy boots as an ironic fashion statement.

Moving up from the boots, Edward took in the rest of the outfit and noticed how the gray v-neck sweater clung to his body. The man didn't seem overly muscular, but he wasn't scrawny either. In fact, according to Edward's careful assessment, he was just about perfect, cowboy boots notwithstanding. Edward continued to watch as Alice whispered in the man's ear, and gave him a hug. Watching their obviously close display, Edward felt a smidge of remorse for so openly ogling him, but he didn't feel bad enough to stop.

"I'll be right back, Jasper!"

Edward had never been more thankful for the fact that Alice's voice seemed to always carry across a crowded room. He gave himself a mental pat on the back for having correctly recalled Jasper's name. Unsure when Alice would return, Edward took the opportunity to stare. Jasper finally turned towards Edward, allowing the seated man a glimpse of his face.

Edward gulped.

While he was no slouch, Jasper was gorgeous. Piercing blue eyes, an angular jaw peppered with scruff and a delectably long neck. Edward watched as Jasper spotted a little quiche on the buffet. He carefully picked one out, holding it up to his lips. As Jasper popped it into his mouth, Edward watched intently as the blond man's throat bobbed when he swallowed. A glint of silver peeked out as Jasper's tongue flicked between his lips to capture some errant crumbs. Edward couldn't pry his eyes from the sight, transfixed at the thought of what Jasper could do with a tongue ring.

Edward could feel himself getting a little hot around the collar and shifted slightly in his seat. He finished off the cup of punch in his hand and crushed the paper, trying to get a grip on himself. A wayward hand found its way into his hair and he self consciously tugged at his wild locks.

From out of nowhere, he felt another, much smaller hand in his hair and looked up in time to see Alice hovering over his shoulder, poking and prodding him.

"What the hell, Alice?" Edward grumbled, trying to pull away, but the forceful minx wouldn't be deterred.

"Sit down," she instructed and gave him a little shove. "I'm fixing your hair. You've gone and messed it all up. And it was looking so good..."

Edward could swear he heard Alice clucking her tongue at him as she finger combed his hair back into place. Finally, she was done and stood back, admiring her handiwork.

"Not bad. Not bad at all, really. Although..."

Alice eyed Edward up and down for a second before continued her thought.

"...have you ever thought of wearing a sweater vest? It would give you a nice, broad look in your shoulders and a rich chocolate colored one would bring out the green in your eyes."

The sparkle of excitement in Alice's eyes scared Edward for a moment before he regained his composure slightly.

"Er, no. I'm all set Alice. But, uh, thanks."

Alice just shook her head, smiling the whole time.

"Suit yourself," she said with a slight huff. "But I happen to know that Jasper has a fondness for sweater vests..."

At the mention of Jasper's name, Edward could feel his face flush. He stared at Alice and wondered what her deal was. _She_ was the one who brought him to this party. Why would she be insinuating something to Edward about him?

Edward knew that Alice was aware that he was gay. Unlike Mike, Alice wasn't an idiot and could tell that Edward didn't dig women like that. Alice also happened to be the office busybody and made it her mission to know exactly what was happening in everyone's personal life at any given moment. In some instances it was a useful trait. There was always a tasty cake waiting in the break room on people's birthdays and some liquor filled chocolate candies discreetly placed on your desk if you were having a bad day. Other times, however, Alice was known to overstep her boundaries, and Edward was almost certain this was one of those times.

"I...I'm not a fan of sweater vests," was Edward's meek reply. He shook his head as he realized how lame he sounded.

"Not the point," Alice replied, thankfully no longer fixated on sweater vests. "But what about Jasper? Are you a fan of him?"

Edward's eyes widened at Alice's loaded question. He wasn't sure how to answer it. From what he'd seen so far this evening, he was definitely a fan. But it's not like he actually knew the man. Plus, hadn't he come here with Alice? Before Edward was able to reply, Alice sat down next to him and leaned in so she could whisper.

"And...and I heard about Garrett."

Alice sounded sad, as if she pitied Edward, but that was the last thing he needed at the moment. He wasn't sure how she found out, and he wasn't even sure he cared at the moment. Anger began to bubble below the surface and combined with his lack of sleep and pounding headache, it made Edward all sorts of annoyed. He really didn't want people to feel sorry for him. He was about to tell her where to stuff it, which was a very un-Edward thing to do. Just as he was about to explode, and most likely make a scene, Alice continued to speak.

"If you don't mind me saying so. I'm kind of glad it happened."

Edward spun around to look directly at Alice, his face having taken on a look of confusion rather than anger.

"He was a dick Edward," she explained, placing her hand on his forearm. "Sure he was insanely hot, but he was never that nice to you. I mean, I know I didn't really know him all that well. But from what I saw...did he really make you happy?"

Edward didn't answer Alice right away. To be honest, he really didn't want to have to think about Garrett. That whole relationship had been one big ball of fail from the start. But for Garrett to dump him on New Year's Eve? Well...that just stung. He thought back upon their few short months together.

Had there been happy moments?

Edward thought there were a few, but most of the ones he could conjure up in his head took place between the sheets, and always at his house, never at Garrett's. Upon reflection that did seem a bit strange. He didn't have time to dwell on it, since Alice started talking again.

"Anyway, it's a new year, Edward, and I really think that you need to find yourself somebody who deserves you. You're super smart and wickedly funny, even though you're kind of quiet. Oh, and you're hot, too. So you've got that going for you."

Edward felt his cheeks heat up at Alice's compliments.

"Thanks?"

"You're welcome," said Alice with a giggle. "Anyway, I invited Jasper along today because I thought you might want to meet him. He lives in my building and we've gotten friendly. He's quite the catch and I think you two would hit it off. Now where'd he go?"

While Edward was more than happy to hear that Alice wasn't actually _with_ Jasper, and that he might, in fact, be gay as well, he wasn't sure if he was ready for a set up like this. As Alice craned her neck all around in hopes of spotting Jasper, Edward steeled himself to respond.

"Oh, Alice. I'm not sure I..."

Before he was able to finish his sentence, Alice was already up and running over towards the Rudolph poster. From where he was sitting, Edward could see Lauren and Mike attempting to pin the light up nose somewhere decidedly _not_ on Rudolph's face. With hands on her hips, Alice read them the riot act, berating them for trying to trash up her party. Mike kept laughing while Lauren rolled her eyes, which ended up making Alice even angrier.

Edward stifled a laugh as he watched it all go down. Despite his reservations of Alice's little matchmaking scheme, Edward couldn't help but scan the room, looking for Jasper. Unable to spot him, Edward decided he might as well get something to eat. Alice had really done a good job of ensuring that the food adhered to her retro theme. In addition to the finger foods, there was a jello mold, a little fondue pot with bubbling cheese and an assortment of brightly decorated sugar cookies.

It took Edward a few minutes to decide what looked the most appetizing. He finally zeroed in on the Swedish meatballs, and reached across the table to grab one. Before he was able to make contact with the questionably colored meat, however, his hand got knocked away. Edward looked over to see who the meatball enthusiast was and was more than surprised to find himself staring into a set of striking blue eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Jasper exclaimed, obviously startled. "I didn't realize you were going in for a ball."

Edward just stared at him, his eyes blinking rapidly.

"Please," offered Jasper, motioning towards the food. "After you."

Edward finally got it together enough to grab his plate and tossed a few meatballs onto it.

"Th-thanks," he managed to reply. "I...I hope they're good."

Edward mentally berated himself for not coming up with something more intelligent and debated just dropping his plate of meatballs and making a run for it. The only thing that stopped him was the grin that slipped across Jasper's face as the blond man looked him over. It was a good thing Edward stayed put, because not even a second later, Jasper leaned in to and spoke quietly.

"I happen to know that these meatballs are quite tasty," Jasper said, his warm breath washing over the side of Edward's face.

Edward gulped, and shoved the meat in his mouth to prevent him from saying something idiotic. He was surprised to note that despite the greyish coloring, the meatball wasn't half bad.

"So? Like my balls?" Jasper asked Edward, causing him to choke on the piece of meat left in his mouth. Jasper was quick to respond, thumping his fist repeatedly on Edward's back until the chunk dislodged itself and shot across the room in a spray of meat, narrowly missing the cheeselog coated in walnuts.

"Shit, I was just playing around, man. Are you okay?" asked Jasper in a panicked voice.

Edward held his hand up and made the universal sign for "all good" while he worked to regain a normal breathing pattern. After the wheezing stopped, he finally looked up at Jasper, ready to see the disgusted look he probably had on his face. Instead, he noticed Jasper biting his lip, his brow all furrowed in concern.

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Edward offered, genuinely grateful that Jasper had helped him out, even though it was pretty humiliating.

Jasper shrugged in response, looking a bit sheepish. The two of them just stood there for a bit, trading nervous glances in the somewhat awkward silence. Edward, surprisingly enough, was the one to break it first.

"I think I'll live," he joked, offering Jasper a weak smile.

"I'm glad," replied Jasper, giving Edward's shoulder a quick squeeze.

They returned to the silence, only this time it seemed more natural between the two men. As they stood there, Edward realized that while he knew Jasper's name, he had no clue if Jasper had any idea of who he was. He figured that now would be an opportune time to remedy that. While Jasper had turned his attentions back to the buffet table, Edward mentally ran some lines through his head so he wouldn't sound like a total idiot this time.

_My name's Edward by the way, and I usually don't choke on balls._

_Your ball was really tasty. Oh, and I'm Edward._

Edward wasn't quite sure why he kept thinking of balls, but being so close to Jasper seemed to muddle his brain. Finally, Edward turned to face Jasper, intent on introducing himself.

"I'm..."

But before he was able to get his name out, Jasper held up a hand, signaling for Edward to hold on a second. After pulling out his phone, Jasper mouthed "I'm sorry" to Edward and turned away to answer it. Edward couldn't quite make out what was being said, as Jasper kept his voice low, but the phone call seemed urgent. After less than a minute Jasper whipped back around, looking anxious.

"I'm so sorry, but I need to run. There's been an emergency and..." Jasper spoke in a rush as he looked frantically around the room. "I...I can't spot Alice, but can you please tell her I had to leave and I'll speak to her soon..."

Jasper's eyes finally landed on Edward's face. Jasper looked as if he wanted to say something else, but then his phone buzzed again and whatever words were about to leave his lips disappeared. Jasper reached out to give Edward's hand a quick squeeze before answering his phone and rushing out.

Edward stood there, surrounded by crappy Christmas carols, cafeteria-quality food, and drunk coworkers, wanting nothing more than to run out of the room and chase after the man who turned his stomach into knots from one small touch. However, by the time his courage showed up, Jasper was long gone, and there would be no finding him. Edward cursed himself for letting Jasper slip away, just as they had started talking.

Noticing a mini bottle of vodka tucked behind one of the poinsettias, Edward got himself another cup of punch and liberally helped himself to a Christmas cocktail, figuring that if he had to stay at this fail of a party, he might as well be drunk for it. Taking a large sip, Edward sighed at the warmth of the vodka as it entered his system. After a few more sips his headache even started to go away. By the last sip, Edward was feeling brave enough to decide that tomorrow he might even ask Alice for Jasper's phone number.

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So what did y'all think of Yogagal's start to the story? Are you excited to see where this is all going to go? We are too! Yogagal is also the author of the sweet and smoky Bella/Edward story: **The Hood**. She loves the slash, and she has written some super smexy oneshots to prove it. Just click back to our profile for links to her profile and all the author's profiles.

Next up... **bmango**!


	2. bmango

_**A/N:**__ Big thank you hugs and kisses to my beta, __**theladyingrey42,**__ for keeping me (and my verb tense) in line._

_Thanks to __**YogaGal**__ and __**PerfectlyPersuasive**__ for the opportunity to work with all these amazing authors. I'm still having little *squee* moments that I was even invited to be in this group. Hope y'all enjoy!_

_As always, Twilight belongs to S Meyer, I just like to play._

_

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After taking a cab back to his house from the disaster of a work party, Edward found himself lying flat on his back on his couch with his arm over his eyes, trying unsuccessfully to block out the world. He wondered again what had made him think more drinking was a good idea tonight. Helpfully, his mind replayed the events of the weekend, starting with the disaster that was New Year's eve. Groaning, he rolled onto his side as the images played out.

Edward had been so excited and happy as he and Garrett had entered the party at the club where Garrett worked, having some strange hope that that night would change everything in their relationship. But he had continued watching Garrett while the other man scanned the room, his hand falling from his boyfriend's grasp as soon as they crossed the threshold. Edward had followed, but Garrett had abandoned him quickly at the bar, talking and laughing with people he never introduced to Edward.

Edward's gut flipped as he recalled the most uncomfortable scene of the night: flashing images of Garrett smiling and dancing with Kate while Edward continued to watch, forgotten from the sidelines, horrified at what he was witnessing.

It was one thing to know things were going downhill, but to be ignored, or replaced, so quickly and publicly was more than Edward could handle. He had stormed out of there but had been followed by Garrett into the chill night air. The man's stumbling explanation about Kate and how he had had 'fun' with Edward but didn't see it working out long term was just salt in an already open and bleeding wound.

Edward growled into his arm, wanting to stop the images, stop the pain. Why was he always the bit of fun? Why was he always left behind? Edward put his heart into any relationship that was going somewhere, but he always seemed to be grabbing onto the wrong one.

Edward groaned and sat up, raking his hands through his hair in frustration and groaning again when his fingers stuck in whatever product Alice had insisted on putting there. Thoughts of Alice brought back memories of Jasper, and he forcefully shoved those aside for now. He stood, stripping as he walked to the bedroom and entered his bathroom. Turning on the shower as hot as he could stand it, he waited for the heat and steam to build before stepping in.

As the hot water washed away the gunk in his hair and the heat soothed his tired and aching muscles, he recalled the events of the evening. After he had remembered to find Alice and relay Jasper's message, her eyes had widened, and she'd excused herself quickly, cell phone already at her ear as she walked away. Edward had reluctantly turned back to the party but the effort he had been putting forward was gone.

He had stayed for another hour to be polite, tried unsuccessfully to avoid Mike and his 'brah's, engaged in a sexual innuendo-filled conversation with Ben and Angela, and endured having his hair fixed by Alice at least three more times, hence the shower. At his moment of escape, Alice had cornered him one last time.

"Edward? You're leaving already?" Alice had asked, her mouth in a small pout.

"Yeah, you know, long weekend," he had explained, rubbing the back of his neck and remembering his lack of sleep and too much alcohol.

Her face had fallen as she'd patted his arm. "You never did answer my question, Edward."

"Yeah? Which one was that?"

"Are you a fan of Jasper?" she had repeated, her eyes widening expectantly.

Edward had started, having forgotten her somewhat innocent question from before, although now he knew why Jasper had been invited in the first place. His cheeks had flushed as he remembered the awkward conversation about meatballs and his embarrassing display of incoordination and choking. Standing there, desperately wanting to leave the party, Edward had blown off Alice's question once again, hoping to revisit it tomorrow with the light of a new day.

But now, standing in his shower at home, Edward remembered the good things of his small interaction with the blond man, the feel of Jasper's hand in his and the other man's parting touch. The same thrill of electricity sparked through him as it did then, and the tingle in his fingers returned.

Edward sighed and rubbed his fingers together before turning to rinse his hair in the spray. The pounding of the water on his shoulders made him sigh in relief, and he relaxed even more. He poured soap into his hands, working it into a foamy lather before spreading it over his body. The tingle in his fingers seemed to spread along his skin and, combined with the heat of the water, soon had his thoughts turning toward Jasper's smile and his startling blue eyes and Edward's shower turning toward discernibly less productive pursuits.

He groaned as his palm pressed against his now hard length, the slick lather making his fingers slide easily. As he often did recently, he began picturing his favorite wank film and steadily _not_thinking about Garrett. He gripped himself firmly, leaned against the wall and shuddered at the difference in temperature between the water and the cool tiles. The nameless boy in his mind began to morph as he gripped his straining cock, dark hair lightening and curling, torso broadening and legs lengthening until the face and body bore a remarkable resemblance to Jasper.

_Fuck. Jasper._

With that thought, his fantasies spiraled out of control; meatballs and winks and hand squeezes turned into dirty talk and tongues and firm hands holding him tight. With his eyes screwed shut, Edward panted into the warm air, his breaths becoming shorter as the tightness in his belly increased.

Edward imagined Jasper standing behind him in the shower, Jasper's hand tugging on his cock, Jasper's voice saying his name over and over in his ear. At the thought of Jasper's breathless pleas, Edward came over his hand and abdomen, grunts and curses escaping his lips as his knees threatened to buckle. Opening his eyes, he shook his head slightly to clear it and then cleaned the remnant of his fantasy off of his skin. Hurriedly, he rinsed the rest of his body, toweled dry and exited the steamy bathroom for the safety of his bed.

What had come over him? He was just starting to get his head around what had happened with Garrett and he already had another man in his head?

_Jesus fuck, Edward. Slow down._

He flopped in the middle of his bed and stared at the ceiling as the events of the weekend and tonight continued to swirl in his head. For all that he had been broken up when Garrett had ended things, he was beginning to realize that perhaps Alice was actually right. Not that he would ever tell her that, but he honestly hadn't been happy for a while. The moments of enjoyment with Garrett all involved Edward's imminent release or those few post-coital minutes when they bathed in their mutual bliss. Beyond that, Garrett was a bit of a prick.

The question was, at this point, did Edward need to take a step back from romance and just take care of himself? Or should he take the vodka's advice and pursue this possible opportunity?

Deciding that nothing could be decided tonight, Edward pulled the duvet over his head, snuggled into the feather-down comforter and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

~~00~~

The blaring of his alarm clock was the next thing that Edward remembered. Sitting up cautiously, he rubbed his eyes and blinked blearily around his room, surprised and happy to find no remnants of his previous pounding headache.

With a clear head also came a realization and grim determination. Edward decided to not chase Jasper so soon after the train wreck of his relationship with Garrett had ended. The dust hadn't even cleared and he knew he was vulnerable right now. Jumping into the first thing that presented itself, no matter how tempting and unbelievably gorgeous, would result in one or the other of them getting hurt, ending in inevitable disaster as well. And if Edward knew one thing, it was that he didn't want Jasper to be just his rebound, a relationship doomed to fail.

He sighed and finally pulled the covers off and left the warmth of the bed. As he continued his morning routine, flashes of Jasper kept popping into his head. He saw glimpses of the warmth in Jasper's eyes, the concern when he was choking, the regret as Jasper turned to leave. Each time, the image would catch him off-guard, and he would pause in whatever he was doing, closing his eyes and enjoying the moment.

This just wouldn't do. Edward couldn't just stop every time a stray thought entered his head, especially with the apparent frequency of his Jasper-related ones.

Finally, he was grabbing his last cup of coffee and running out the door before remembering that his car was still at work. He walked to the bus stop, happy that they ran fairly frequently at this time of day as the cold, winter wind seemed to be piercing straight through his wool coat, chilling him instantly. When the bus finally arrived, it was a bit crowded, and he had to stand in the aisle, gripping a metal pole to steady himself. For once, instead of making him vow to never take the bus again, he was actually thankful for the press of bodies around him that were both distracting and warm.

By the time he walked into the office, he was a few minutes late. Although, he noted, he seemed to be one of the few that had arrived so far. Perhaps a Christmas party on a Monday night, a work night, was not the most brilliant plan.

Edward settled into his work easily, catching up on emails and memos that had piled up over the holiday break. It was amazing how much he accomplished without the constant interruptions of coworkers at his door and clients on the phone. Maybe everyone was still trying to recover from the weekend.

He pulled up a new account he had acquired just before Christmas, going over the client's specifications one last time before sketching some ideas in his notebook. The creative meeting wasn't until the next day, but he always liked to walk in with at least a few ideas ruminating in his brain. Unfortunately, every time he let his mind wander to get the creative juices flowing, he would find he was doodling nothing close to what the client had wanted.

But Edward recognized the hint in the grey lines just the same.

His pictures were all different pieces of the same subject: a slight wave of hair, a strong jaw, a curl of fingers.

He shook his head, trying to focus again on his work. He shouldn't sit here pining over something that was five awkward minutes of possible interest.

_Five electric minutes_, his subconscious reminded him.

He sighed and returned to his attempts at sketching, but after a couple hours of getting nowhere, he ventured out of his office to walk the halls and the maze of cubicles, hoping to clear his head. As his stomach growled, he also resolved to see if there were any leftovers from last night in the break room. Walking through the still unusually empty office, Edward noticed more than one person with a bleary gaze and squinted eyes, and he chuckled under his breath at the obvious discomfort of about half the staff.

He paused when he heard Alice's guffawing laughter spilling from her office door, glancing in and finding her with her head thrown back and the phone pressed to her ear.

As she wiped the tears from her eyes, Alice noticed Edward in the doorway and waved him in enthusiastically. He entered and tried to seem interested in the contents of her bookshelves while she continued talking on the phone, but he couldn't help overhearing part of the conversation.

"Yes, I'm sorry you had to leave early, too," she said sadly, twirling the cord around her finger.

This grabbed Edward's attention as he wondered if she was speaking to the man who had been occupying all of his thoughts. He spun around, noticing her small smirk at his obvious interest. He sighed loudly and turned away from her again, but he knew that she'd already figured him out. Even after trying to evade her last night, he could never slip anything past Alice.

"Mmhmm," she hummed into the phone. "Yes, I think that would work, but I'll have to check his schedule."

Edward started again, but resisted turning this time. Check _whose_ schedule?

"Oh! Even better!" Alice exclaimed as he watched her standing suddenly in his peripheral vision. "Edward?"

It took him a few seconds to realize that she was addressing him, and he spun slowly on his heels, unwilling to even acknowledge the small hint of something like hope in his chest.

"Yes?" he croaked out before clearing his throat.

"He'd like to talk to you," she replied, holding out the phone to him with a wry grin on her face.

Edward stood there, staring at her hand for long seconds before swallowing hard and reaching for the receiver.

"Hello?" he answered, equal parts fear and anticipation mixing in his head as he absently ran his rough fingers through his hair. Alice winked at him slyly, ducked under the cord and waltzed out of her office, leaving him alone.

"Hello, yourself," came the smooth reply, and Edward's mouth dried completely, his words choking in his throat. "Uh, this is Jasper," the voice continued. "You know, the guy with the balls?"

Edward's laughter was edging on maniacal after Jasper referenced their appetizer sparring, and he barely controlled it to answer. "Yes, I remember," he finally managed over stifled chuckles before recalling that he had never introduced himself either. "I'm Edward."

"So Alice tells me," Jasper said, a low chuckle reverberating in Edward's ear, making his cock stir slightly.

Unfortunately, suddenly faced with the man of his fantasy and his every waking thought, Edward was at a loss for words. The five minutes of awkward had returned. Luckily, Jasper seemed to pick up on Edward's unease and continued talking as if nothing was wrong.

"I know I ran out of the party pretty quickly last night. But, and I swear this isn't some kind of line, I thought we had some sort of connection." Trailing off, Edward heard Jasper clear his throat and then the silence was back.

Swallowing again, Edward jumped in, trying to save Jasper and hoping he didn't land on his face once again. "Yeah, perhaps we did. A connection over meat balls." He smiled at the recollection of the innuendo and almost silly conversation. And then blushed as he remembered what Jasper's touch had done to him over the last hours.

"Yeah," came Jasper's breathy reply.

Maybe they were both thinking the same thing.

"Would you like to get coffee or something?" Edward asked, his own voice surprising him. Since when did he pursue a guy? Edward usually found guys at bars and hoped for the best. Maybe this was his head reminding him of how well that had worked for him.

Luckily, Jasper's answer came immediately. "Actually, that would be great. I was going to suggest something to try to make up for my rudeness. When is best for you?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty free today actually," Edward responded and then cringed, hoping he didn't sound too desperate. "Um, but when works for you?" he asked, placing the ball back in Jasper's court.

"Today would work actually, and I typically need a break from the office around three or so. Do you know Lucille's downtown? We could meet there."

Lucille's Coffee and Pasty Shop was located only a block from Edward's office, and he couldn't believe his luck that Jasper also knew the quirky but homey cafe.

"Sure, I know Lucille's. She makes the best macchiato in town," Edward offered, his mouth instantly watering, recalling the smooth, hot liquid on his taste buds.

"Then, three o'clock?" came the hopeful question.

"Yeah, I'll see you then," he agreed, anxiousness and excitement tangling in his belly.

And although he was becoming more nervous, Edward didn't mistake the sigh of relief from the other man. Jasper ended the conversation with a short, drawled, "See you." The click that followed shortly after was somehow both welcome and not, an ache settling into Edward's chest where he had sworn he wouldn't let another in so soon.

At that moment, Alice danced back into the room, a small smile on her lips.

"Well?" she asked, stopping in front of him and raising her eyebrows as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

"Well what?" Edward replied calmly. He was desperately trying not to reveal any of his excitement and enjoying torturing the little matchmaker for a few seconds.

"What did you and Jasper talk about?" she continued, not settling down in the slightest. "I knew when he called that it was about you, and I really want this to work out because he's really great and you're really great, and I think you could be happy, you know, like the good kind of happy, the kind-"

"Whoa, Alice," Edward interrupted grabbing her shoulders as if to physically restrain her and stop the words flowing out of her mouth without end. "We didn't really talk about anything."

"Oh," she responded, shoulders visibly slumping and her lips pouting slightly.

"Yeah," he sighed and then released her, watching her slump further and feeling a little bad for deceiving her. So, when he neared the door and felt it was safe to enlighten her and avoid any immediate retribution, he turned. "Except for the coffees we're having together in a few hours," he said over his shoulder and then ducked out the door quickly as Alice's high-heeled shoe came flying at him.

He was still chuckling to himself when he returned to his office, a plate of small appetizers in his hand. Waiting on his desk was a proof that he had been working on that had finally arrived for his approval. Having something to work on made the time fly by, but his mind kept wandering to coffee and the macchiato he would be enjoying soon. And, of course, Jasper.

What would they talk about? Did they have anything in common besides a love of kitschy appetizers?

Nervously, he glanced at the clock for the first time in a while after studiously trying to ignore it. Realizing it was almost 2:40, he gathered his working sketches and filed them quickly before leaving the office. As he exited the building, the chill air and biting wind still seemed to pierce easily through his wool coat and thick scarf, and he walked quickly to try to stay warm and reach the toasty cafe sooner.

Walking in the door, he heard the familiar chimes and smiled to himself before noticing that the clock on the wall indicated that he was still fifteen minutes early. He decided to grab a table and wait for Jasper before ordering his coffee, but as he glanced around the cafe, he finally noticed the man himself seated on a small couch in the back, waving cheerfully in Edward's direction.

Edward carefully picked his way through the maze of tables and chairs and soon found himself before Jasper, who was standing with his hand extended.

"Let's make this official then," Jasper said as Edward approached and placed his hand in the other man's. "I'm Jasper Whitlock."

"Edward Cullen," he replied, a slightly strangled sound coming from his throat at hearing Jasper's silken voice again in person. He reluctantly released the other man's hand and flexed his fingers,feeling that same strange tingle in his skin as last night. "Um, I'll just go get my coffee."

But as Edward turned to return to the counter, Jasper grabbed his arm lightly. "Already done, my man," he explained as he gestured to the small table next to the couch, two steaming, slightly frothy cups sitting there with a plate of Lucille's homemade chocolate chip cookies. "I took the liberty after you mentioned the macchiato and ordered them for us both. I hope you don't mind."

Edward stood there shocked, trying to recall the last time anyone had done something so simple but so thoughtful without wanting something in return. At Jasper's hopeful look, Edward's wide eyes and open mouth morphed into an large grin.

"Thanks, Jasper. That means a lot to me."

Jasper smiled and then stepped back to gesture at the couch. "Shall we?"

Edward couldn't wipe the grin off his face as he removed his coat and joined Jasper on the small couch. After a few awkward starts, Jasper asked what Edward did, and Edward eagerly explained his job as a graphic designer and one of the recent projects that he'd enjoyed working on for the local park service. From there, Jasper launched enthusiastically into his tale about being an architect, the love he had for creation and seeing the ideas in his head become physical, usable constructions.

Edward was a little enthralled by Jasper's take on creativity and the awe that he felt at watching his mind's works come to life. Edward had felt a certain pride in his work as well, especially if it was a public project, and he could never quite explain to people the thrill of seeing his sketches come to life. Jasper nodded, sipping his coffee as Edward explained this, his eyes and words conveying nothing _but_ understanding.

Edward could get used to this.

As he warmed and relaxed, Edward rolled up his shirt sleeves absently, only pausing for a moment at the short gasp from beside him. Internally Edward groaned, having received more than his fair share of questions about his tattoos, the assumptions and the prejudices. Garrett never understood why Edward wanted to have ink on his skin, or why he wanted to get more. That was the reason for the placement of his newest addition, but the meaning was only for Edward, as it always was.

By the time he looked up at Jasper, he was filled with dread, wondering if he would receive the same scowl and narrowed eyes he got from his ex, but all he saw was a gorgeous smirk and smiling eyes.

"Didn't think you would have ink," Jasper said, a note of incredulity in his voice.

"Yeah?" Edward asked noncommittally, not really wanting to but still wondering if Jasper had actually been thinking about his skin or the possibility of tattoos.

"I don't think I could ever get one," Jasper replied, looking down at Edward's forearm again, and Edward restrained the slight wince at his words, hoping they didn't lead to derisive comments. "I just don't think I could sit still that long. I'm more for small doses of pain, you know?"

Edward quickly turned toward Jasper with that remark, staring into his still-smirking face. _Small doses of pain? What the hell does that-? _

_Ohhhhh._

This time it was Edward's turn to gasp as Jasper flashed the bit of steel through his tongue, clicking it against his front teeth before returning it to his mouth. Edward had completely forgotten that not-so-small detail about the other man, and he could not resist looking down the other man's body, wondering what else was worth that small amount of pain.

Jasper cleared his throat, and Edward's eyes shot back to his face as he felt heat color his cheeks. Jasper leaned forward, lightly tracing a single finger along the lion's mane on Edward's forearm. Edward somehow repressed the shiver running up his spine, although he couldn't control the goosebumps that broke out across his skin.

"Let me take you out," Jasper said. He wasn't really asking, but the question was there - not the usual demand that Edward was used to.

Jasper's finger continued to lightly touch Edward's skin as he was once again shocked into silence, frozen by this man's touch and his words.

Jasper's voice was nervous when he spoke again. "I'm sorry, Edward. I'm being too forward. It's too soon." He withdrew his hand suddenly, looking away, but Edward grabbed for his arm, holding him steadily.

"No, it's not that...," Edward started, unsure of how much to admit without sounding pathetic or desperate. "It's just that I haven't been asked out in a long time."

Jasper turned back to Edward then, regarding him curiously. "But Alice said-." Then he stopped abruptly, shaking his head, a blond curl falling into his eye. "Never mind. Will you go to dinner with me? Tonight?"

Edward paused for a few heartbeats, falling into honest blue eyes.

All of his firm determination from the morning began to disappear, replaced by a glimmer of actual happiness at causing Jasper's mouth to smirk once again. His answer, when he decided, seemed impetuous, possibly even foolish, but nothing had seemed so right.

Edward's voice was full of confidence when he finally voiced his desire. "Yes."

* * *

_Ooh... a date! Things are heating up!_

_To read more from **bmango**, check out our profile for a link to her fics. She has a bunch of fabulous slash ones, including the excellent (and completed!) fic, **Ready For You**._

_Thank you all for reading and joining us on this special adventure. Please return next week when **Lyrical Kris** takes the helm!_


	3. LyricalKris

**A/N: Thanks to josieswan for beta work. Going third was … way perfect placement for me. Win. It's been an honor being part of this project! Thanks. **

**Disclaimer: Just playing. Not profiting.**

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Edward was not fond of this part - the getting ready for a date part. Then again, it had been quite a while since he'd been on a date. The last couple of guys he'd been with, he'd met at clubs or through friends, and they hadn't really dated. They'd done things together, but not in that I-might-potentially-like-you capacity.

Adding to the slight anxiety - wondering if would he be a bumbling idiot again - was the fact that Jasper was picking him up, and he had no idea where they were going.

In general, Edward liked being the one to drive. The fact that he'd agreed to let Jasper pick him up was a testament to how damn besotted he was already. Without knowing the destination, he had no idea what to wear. Something nice for dinner he would think, but Jasper had told him to dress casual.

Jeans. Definitely jeans. The black ones that Garrett had actually complimented.

Pushing the errant thought of his ex away, Edward rummaged through the few necklaces and armbands he had on his dresser. His lips quirked in a smile as he picked up the cord that his mother had gotten him for Christmas. It was an Indian symbol - truth if he remembered correctly - made of jasper. He laughed to himself at the irony.

Esme would probably like Jasper. As an interior designer, she worked with architects frequently on projects. They tended to have the same eye for detail, and attention to the way shapes came together.

But then again...

Edward wasn't the type of guy who would bring his boyfriends home to meet the parents unless the relationship was getting serious. While he and Garrett had not gotten to that point, the asshole had been around during his parents' annual Christmas party - held during the Christmas season, as out of style as that apparently was. Without a doubt his mother would have had someone to introduce him to had he not brought a date of his own.

After the party, as he was helping his parents clean up, Esme had exactly three words to say about Garrett, "He's a prick."

One of the things Edward enjoyed about his mother was that despite the fact that she was the most friendly, warm person you could ever hope to meet, behind closed doors with the people who knew her best, she was bluntly honest.

"I worry about you, Edward," she'd said, sighing. "I don't know how you ended up with a man who's so beneath you. Maybe you should take some time for yourself and figure out what you really want." She'd patted his cheek. "Just please. Not him."

He had to admit it was good advice, yet here he was...rushing right out to a date with Jasper.

With a short growl of frustration, Edward laid back on his bed, trying to just calm down about everything. It was a first date - he wasn't committing to the guy.

The doorbell ringing distracted him from his wallowing. Edward furrowed his eyebrows, rising and going to the door. Jasper wasn't supposed to be here for a couple of hours - had he gotten the time wrong?

His worrying, though, proved to be for naught. Outside of his door was none other than Alice Brandon. She had something tucked under her arm and ducked around him into his place before he'd even said a word.

"Wow," Alice said, looking around his home with a smile. "You _are _perfect for each other."

"Alice," he said, sighing and closing the door, "what are you doing here? How do you even know where I live?"

Her expression was not as guilty as it should have been in Edward's estimation. "I might have gotten it from the HR files?" When he fixed her with a look she just rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up, Edward. You would have given it to me if I'd have asked. I'm just here to help. I like you. I really do. And I love Jasper. I've been watching both of you make... poor choices for too long now."

Folding his arms across his chest, Edward leaned against the wall, trying not to smirk at his diminutive co-worker. "You know, you're actually a little too tall to be cupid."

Alice grinned at him. "Well, I don't have any love potion tipped arrows either. You're going to have to make him fall for you all by yourself." She pretended to look slightly mournful. "You really need all the help you can get. Besides," her eyes waggled mischievously, "I know where you're going!"

"Figures," Edward grumbled. Surprises made him grumpy. He liked being prepared. "If not love potion arrows, what do you have under your arm?"

Her grin dropped as she tried to put on an innocent look. It didn't work. She sighed. "Edward, you would kill in a sweater vest-"

"No," he replied bluntly.

~0~

Edward found that he really wanted Jasper to like him, and so he tried to keep the frown off his face. Still, he couldn't have been doing a good job of it because as he glanced over out of the side of one eye, Jasper laughed. "You're antsy aren't you?"

"Sorry," Edward said somewhat sheepishly. "I'm not good with surprises."

Jasper pursed his lips, looking indecisive and amused at the same time. "Gameworks," he said finally.

Blinking sporadically, as if he wasn't sure he heard right, Edward repeated, "Gameworks?"

The blond haired man laughed lightly again. "Sure, why not?"

"I thought we were going to dinner," Edward said, feeling more like he should disapprove. An arcade? Were they twelve?

"They bring your food and booze right to your arcade game. How much better could it get?"

Edward must not have looked convinced because Jasper tilted his head, fixing him with a charming and entirely disarming grin as they pulled up to a traffic light. "Come on, Edward. The manly art of blowing things up is an ageless occupation." He leaned in, his nearness making Edward's heart speed up slightly. "Besides, there's school tomorrow. We wouldn't want to do anything that keeps us up all night."

Slowly, Edward smiled, remembering college days when he and his roommate had marathon Super Smash Brothers sessions where the playful aggression had escalated into something a little more physical. "I don't know about you, but I have no problem being up all night."

Jasper's eyebrows arched, shock quickly replaced with a heated gaze. A gentle beep from the car behind them was the only thing that broke their stare. As they drove onward, Edward felt a blush creep up his neck, making his cheeks glow pink, but he was pleased. The day before, at the Christmas party, he hadn't even been able to speak correctly.

"Well if you're sure it's not too juvenile for you," Jasper said teasingly.

"It isn't. It just surprised me is all," Edward assured. "I don't remember the last time I played a video game."

Actually, Edward reflected inwardly, he had been quite fond of video games. He used to own all the systems and frequently blew off steam by shooting virtual objects after a hard day's work. Caius - his boyfriend from several years previous - had broken him of that habit with one too many disapproving looks.

Caius was an uptight asshole.

"I guess I was too busy growing up too fast when I should have been enjoying my early 20's," Jasper mused, breaking Edward out of his reverie. He looked over and Edward and winked. "Making up for lost time."

Edward didn't have time to ask Jasper to elaborate on just what had kept him so preoccupied in his early 20's before they were pulling into the Gameworks parking lot.

Once they'd put in an order for drinks and a Chicken Spinach-Artichoke pizza, Jasper bought them two fully loaded gamecards. "Alright, Cullen, what'll it be? Racing? Fighting? Shoot-em-up?"

"Hmmm. I feel like going hunting," Edward said, a slow grin spreading across his face. It was amazing how at-ease he felt in Jasper's presence. Of course, it was nearly impossible to feel nervous when the blond man - in all his tight shirt, skinny-jean-wearing glory - was bouncing with excitement at all the video games they were surrounded by.

Jasper pretended to look wounded. "Ouch! Am I boring you already?"

Rolling his eyes, Edward boldly grabbed his hand and dragged him in the direction of the shooting games. "I need to get my hands on a gun."

"I've got a gun you can get your hands on," he thought he heard Jasper mutter, but it was a little too noisy in the venue to be sure.

"Zombies?" Jasper asked when Edward stopped in front of the House of the Dead Four.

"Zombies," Edward confirmed, handing Jasper a gun. "You can be first player."

"Pffft. I make a better looking woman than you do, Edward. Hand it over."

Jasper, Edward quickly found out, was not only fiercely competitive, but he was … bossy. If the whole architect thing didn't work out, he'd be a sure fit as an army commander.

"You always take out the zombies that are after the civilians first, Edward," Jasper chastised as said zombie ate the screaming civilian woman.

"The zombie worm was about to bite me. It took precedence," Edward countered.

"Always the civilians first. They can give you things - like secret passages and health packs."

"I know that," Edward answered, highly amused. "But if I kill the zombie worm that's trying to suck my guts out, I don't _need _the extra health pack."

"Hit the bats! The bats!" Jasper cried out suddenly as a barrage of bats came at them from the right. He was pumping out bullets and reloading quickly as he yelled. "Keep them off me so I can get the zombies in the background."

"Why do you get to get the zombies?" Edward asked. He hated picking bats out of the sky.

"Because I'm a better shot than you."

"Bullshit! My average was better than yours last round," he protested.

"Not even close, Cullen," Jasper returned.

"You, sir, are delusional," Edward retorted, taking out a background zombie despite Jasper's orders. He got it right in the head.

Jasper hip checked Edward. "No fair skewing the numbers!" Edward said, but he was laughing.

For a while they shot bad guys mostly in silence, each intent on keeping their hit average up. But eventually, Jasper couldn't help himself. He started barking out orders again. "We have incoming!"

Amused, Edward thought of Jasper in army fatigues - and that was really where he made a mistake. Casual in jeans, a shirt, and the curiosity of where else he might be pierced, Jasper was a walking fantasy. Add in a uniform and he had the potential to be deadly. Although, Edward couldn't decide if that buzz haircut would look nearly attractive as the scruffy look he wore now.

He was so lost in his fantasies that his average suffered as his mind wandered. "Ha!" Jasper's cry of triumph startled Edward. "I win," he pointed with the gun to the score that had popped up on the end screen. Where Jasper had scored an impressive 84%, Edward had managed a paltry 79%. It was a damn good score considering how distracted he'd been at he prospect of Jasper barking out orders in a very different setting.

"Gun's broken," Edward offered, smiling what he knew was his most charming, convincing grin. With his mother, it'd gotten him out of a lot of trouble. With his lovers, it'd gotten him into even more trouble.

Jasper was far from immune, it seemed. His lips parted and he blinked a couple of times, as if a little dazed. Then he shook his head and chuckled lightly. "So what next then, Edward?" He leaned in, licking his lips deliberately. "What about that fireman game over there?"

_Oh, yeah. Definitely in trouble. _

"Fireman game?" Edward was going for dubious but sounded a little more husky than he liked. He was staring at Jasper's mouth.

"Over there," Jasper repeated, pointing behind him.

Though it felt almost painful, Edward forced himself to play it cool, turning away to see where Jasper was pointing. Sure enough, there was a fireman game...with a big hose Edward assumed you were supposed to control. He turned back to Jasper, not sure if he wanted to laugh or roll his eyes. "It really doesn't seem like that exciting a game."

Deliberately, Jasper took a step closer, getting right up in Edward's bubble space. "You know, I've found that enjoyment of the game depends greatly on your experience working the hose."

Edward was trying desperately not to let his overactive imagination put Jasper in a fireman's get up. Or better... getting out of a fireman's get up. He was definitely trying not to think about how Jasper's face would be flushed and his muscles gleaning with a sheen of sweat as he took off his yellow jacket... "You like playing with hoses, do you?" he quipped, swallowing hard around his suddenly dry throat.

"There's just something about the pulsing, surging, swelling of the water beneath your hands," Jasper intoned, nodding solemnly.

"You have to harness that kind of power with both hands," Edward said seriously, unconsciously tilting his head toward the other man.

"Exactly," Jasper responded.

They lapsed into silence then, and Edward wasn't sure what he wanted to do. His body seemed to be straining toward Jasper, dying for a touch - almost desperate for a kiss. But before either one of them could respond to the sudden heat between them, Edward became aware of snickering, whispering voices near by.

"Dude," one of them hissed. "They are _totally _about to make out."

"Yeah, and you can't look away, you homo," another voice chortled. "Don't pretend you don't like it."

"You think gay guys are as bad as my girl is at video games?" a third voice asked.

Edward glanced over Jasper's shoulder, spotting the trio easily. They were pretending to be absorbed by the fighting game they were playing but were obviously more entertained by watching them.

"Yeah, alright," Jasper muttered.

Before he could turn, Edward reached out and grabbed his arms. "They're just kids being stupid. I don't think they mean any harm."

"Oh, I know," the blond haired man said, smiling tightly. He winked, disarming Edward enough that he loosened his hold. Jasper spun around and had sauntered up to the boys in the next minute. "Hello there, boys!"

All three of the college-aged kids looked on with deer caught in headlights expressions as Jasper continued. "So, I know it's very rude, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation."

"Dude..." one of them stuttered, his voice slightly horrified. "We didn-"

Jasper held his hands up in a stopping motion. "No, no. It's a valid point, it really is. First, we have the proposal that women suck at video games. Now, obviously none of you have ever met my sister, but that's beside the point.

"I have a proposition for you … gentlemen," Jasper said, leering slightly at the last word. He paused long enough that the three of them looked vaguely green. "You three versus us homos. Laser tag. My treat. What do you say?"

The three guys blinked, and Edward balked slightly. He wasn't sure if he liked the idea of three others joining their date.

Then again - laser tag meant that Jasper would be running around...

Edward decided right around the same time the boys did that he was down for a little competition. "Are you sure we can take them?" Edward asked in a whisper, leaning in toward Jasper as they all walked toward the back where the laser tag entrance was.

Casually, as if it were the most natural thing to do, Jasper linked his arm through Edward's. "Come on, Cullen. You seem pretty athletic. You think a bunch of whipper-snappers like them can beat brains _and _brawn?"

Laughing, Edward just shook his head.

As promised, Jasper paid for a game for all five of them. Once they were all suited up - Jasper in gaming gear added an unexpected contribution to Edward's expanding fantasy images - they gathered in separate corners to strategize.

Once they were in, Edward felt the almost unfamiliar thrum of adrenaline through his veins. Laser tag was a fairly straight forward game. All the players wore a sensor pack designed to go off when another player's gun hit it. The game lasted five minutes. Whenever you were hit, you had to return to your homebase to reset the pack on your chest before you could return to game play. The course itself was made up of a room lit only by the neon lights that lined the tops of the plastic, movable pillars. There were box walls to hide behind, stairs to climb and corners to stick to.

Edward and Jasper played it smart, staying within eyesight of each other. Years of playing Counterstrike came back to Edward quickly. He followed Jasper's lead though - a concession he made because he was still slightly charmed by the way the other man took over. Funny - it was the type of thing that would have annoyed him under any other circumstance.

Two minutes into the game and they had each gotten a kill. Chasing down one of the kids, Edward found himself alone. He peered around, realizing that not only had he lost the kid, he'd also run out of Jasper's sight. It was too quiet...

Edward nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand wrapped around his wrist and yanked him down under the stairwell. A shouted curse from above made him aware that he'd just been pulled out of the line of fire. Jasper held his finger to his lips and gestured sharply that Edward should follow. They both ran, ducking along a low wall as footsteps clambered down the stairs.

Wrapping an arm around his waist, Jasper pulled Edward into a tight corner. They were both silent for a minute, listening to hear if their "enemies" were near. The only sound was their light pants, their breath hot against each other's skin.

"You saved me," Edward murmured.

Jasper's eyes darted to his and they were suddenly both very aware of where they were. They were pressed up against each other, wedged between the wall and a pillar. Even in the darkness Jasper's blue eyes were visible. He swallowed, his hand pressing against Edward's back. He leaned in. Edward tilted his head.

"Head in the game, ladies!" one of the kids' voices sent them both flying apart. They looked up just in time to see the offender level a gun and shoot Jasper straight on. His chest piece lit up spectacularly and the kid took off running the opposite direction.

"Ah, hell," Jasper swore, actually stomping his foot once.

Edward didn't say a word. He just pivoted and took off like a shot after Jasper's "killer".

"Avenge me!" Jasper called after him.

Following the kid through the winding pillars, Edward ran straight into a trap. All three of the kids waited for him, guns ready. He was able to take down two of them before he was riddled with imaginary bullets.

By the time the buzzer sounded and the lights came up, both Edward and Jasper were riding a natural high. As they all filed out, the air between the two of them seemed to crackle with a static electricity. Edward found he was having a hard time keeping his hands to himself.

The college kids conceded defeat gracefully, shaking hands and muttering good-natured, "good games". Edward found himself growing impatient as they said good-bye. He would have wondered if he was the only one feeling this pull, except that as soon as they had turned away from the boys, Jasper had grabbed his hand, clasping it tightly as he propelled them toward the exit.

The cold, night air of Seattle's winter was a shock to Edward's system. It was such a stark contrast to how super-heated his skin had been just moments before. The clammy layer of sweat made the chill of the evening even stronger, and Edward shivered.

Taking that as a cue, Jasper wrapped an arm around Edward's shoulders, drawing him closer. They kept up their pace, neither saying a word as a sense of anxiousness built between them. The second they got to Jasper's car, the blond man pushed him up against the door. Though the night was cold, and drops from the rain that had fallen earlier that evening soaked through Edward's jacket, he couldn't have cared less. All he could see was Jasper. The other man's hands came to Edward's chest, grabbing a fistful of his shirt as he came forward.

There was nothing gentle about Jasper's kiss. His lips were both soft and hard: smooth in a way not many men he'd kissed were, but demanding a response from him. Their lips parted only slightly, and Edward could taste the remnants of the beer on Jasper's lips. Other than that, the other man's underlying taste was heady. It was like he was specifically designed to draw him in.

Edward felt like he would gladly drown in Jasper. As it was, the other man's presence surrounded him. Their lips worked well together. Jasper's body pinned Edward's back against the cold metal of the car, but all Edward felt was heat. His hands came up to Jasper's broad shoulders, pushing him even closer.

They parted, breathing raggedly, and instantly, Edward's lips were attracted to Jasper's jaw. He kissed lightly but hungrily - feeling the not-unpleasant sandpaper of the light stubble against his lips.

"In...inside," Jasper panted. It took Edward almost a minute to realize what he was asking for. He pushed off the car, propelling Jasper's body backward but holding him tight enough that they were still pressed together. The blond man dipped his head, nipping at Edward's neck as he reached around, opening the door.

Almost before Edward could process what was happening they were in the backseat of Jasper's car. He was propped up against the far corner, opposite of the door he'd just climbed into. Jasper was on him again almost instantaneously, his long fingers cupping his face completely.

It was hard to tell how much time passed as they made out. Though it was obvious how much they were enjoying their fevered closeness, neither man let their hands drift below the waist. They took their time, exploring the way their bodies reacted to each other. Edward found that when he tilted Jasper's head back, licking a spot just to the right of his adam's apple, the other man made a whining sound at the back of his throat. Jasper found a particularly sweet spot to stroke at the small of Edward's back, letting his hand slip beneath the fabric of his shirt to touch bare, warm skin.

Van Morrison's 'Brown Eyed Girl' sounded out suddenly, and Jasper's body stiffened. He groaned and with one last kiss he pushed himself back, away from Edward. Jasper was already digging through his pocket for his phone. His eyes were apologetic and Edward knew what he was going to say before he said it.

"You have to take that," he deadpanned.

Jasper sighed. "It might be... yeah, important."

Resigned, Edward nodded.

"Um, this …" Jasper thought for a second then just shook his head, apparently thinking better of any explanation. He answered the phone. "Hello?... Peter, is she-"

Edward didn't want to hear, but the man's voice on the end of the phone carried in the small space of the car. "She's fine. She's feeling better. She just had a nightmare."

"Sing to her. She'll go back to sleep," Jasper responded, a slight note of irritation in his voice.

The response then was harder to hear. Peter had obviously handed over the phone to someone else. Someone with a high pitched voice that Edward couldn't discern as easily. Almost instantaneously, Jasper's body language changed. He melted just a little bit, and his voice took on a soothing quality. "Hi baby, did you have a bad dream?... Do you want to tell me about it?" Jasper listened again and then rolled his eyes at something the speaker had said, but he was smiling fondly. "Bella, if I tell you a story about vampires and werewolves, you're just going to have another nightmare. … No, but if you settle down and go to sleep, I'll be there when you wake up... Yes, sugar," he said patiently. "I love you too."

He put down the phone then, staring at it contemplatively and not looking up at Edward.

"You have a kid?" Edward finally asked quietly, keeping his voice unassuming.

"No. Uh...well, that's not very fair of me to say." He laughed at himself, rubbing the back of his neck and looking a little self conscious. "This is a little heavy for first date material, but here goes...

"I was in a relationship with Peter - Peter Swan - up until about a year ago," he began. "We met when I was 20. I'm 28 now. Ummm," he struggled, likely editing his story greatly. "Before me, he'd been with a woman - Charlotte. Well, shortly after they broke up and we got together, Charlotte announced she was pregnant."

"Wow," Edward breathed. He couldn't imagine the complexities of that situation playing out in his own life.

"Yeah, it was … an interesting situation, to say the least." He smiled then, a tender, adoring smile as he continued. "Anyway, long story real short, Bella turned six in September. She is not my daughter - but I've helped raise her since she was born. Charlotte's not exactly in the picture," his eyes darkened slightly at that, but he didn't elaborate. "It's been Peter and me, all her life. I couldn't love her more if she were my own blood."

Edward reached out, taking Jasper's hand and squeezing tightly. "She is your daughter," he said, firmly believing his words. He understood that Jasper felt that level of connection to the little girl and wanted him to know he was okay with acknowledging it.

The other man smiled and then chuckled, turning to look out the window briefly. "Kind of a mood killer though."

"It's not that you having a daughter is a bad thing," Edward said softly. "It just feels heavier. You know? Like this," he gestured between the two of them, "should carry a little more weight."

"And that's a bad thing," Jasper assumed.

"I didn't say that." Edward reached over and brushed the other man's cheek with his fingertips. Jasper looked over, his eyes cautious. Edward smiled gently, hoping that he looked as interested as he felt. "I just mean that," he stopped, sighing and laughing at his own awkwardness. "I don't know, I feel like we should be...more careful? We kind of skipped the 'getting-to-know-you' part of dating and went straight to the making-out-in-the-backseat bit."

Jasper seemed entertained, his eyes losing some of the caution. "I didn't know there was a list."

The smile they shared was easy, and they lapsed into quiet for a few moments. Slowly, Jasper reached out to take Edward's hands. Edward let him, rubbing his thumb across the other man's knuckles as he tried to think of what to say.

What he wanted to say was that Jasper felt...different. Looking back at his previous relationships, Edward could see a decided nonchalance about the way they all happened. He would feel an attraction. If it was mutual, he'd end up just as he was now - hands and lips all over the other guy in the space of not-long-enough. They would go out again, and things would be mostly physical. If he was being honest with himself, he knew that's why he'd never been... destroyed when a relationship ended. It had never been serious.

Jasper felt... serious. Maybe it was that his coming with a family made everything feel more … grown up. Maybe it was something more. At that moment, Edward didn't know how to tell.

He did, however, know that he damn well wanted to find out.

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**A/N:** _oooh...like that little twist? We'll see what **naelany **does with it. *evil cackle*_

_To read more fabulous work from **LyricalKris**, hop on over to her profile to see some slashy goodness. If you like a little threesome action, check out her completed fic, **One February Friday**!_


	4. naelany

_**A/N: **__Thanks to __**SorceressCirce**__ for beta'ing._

_Hope y'all are enjoying this project as much as I am.

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_

Edward was writhing under Jasper's touch, panting for breath and moaning whenever Jasper hit a particularly sensitive spot.

"Jasper, please... stop teasing me," he groaned when Jasper once again skipped over his straining cock and instead kissed the inside of his other thigh.

Edward's fingers clenched and unclenched around the slats of the headboard where Jasper had put them after firmly ordering, "Keep them there, or else." Part of him wanted to find out what Jasper would do if he disobeyed, but another part - mainly his aching cock - very much wanted to do as he was told, so that Jasper would _finally_ be able to get properly acquainted with it.

Jasper chuckled, his eyes flickering up to Edward's as if making sure he was behaving himself. Edward's hips bucked a little when he saw Jasper's storm-blue eyes and felt his breath wash over the wet tip of his dick.

"Please, Jasper, just..." he begged. He _needed_ this - needed the connection he'd been so often denied over the past three weeks.

It hadn't been Jasper's fault, though; Edward had to admit that, at least. It felt as if every single time he was with Jasper, _something_ would come up, interrupting their time together - most often when they were trying to be more intimate.

That _something_ came in the form of one Peter Swan.

Not tonight, though. Edward knew that Jasper had made quite sure that Peter knew not to call and that Bella had a babysitter. Nothing was going to disturb them tonight. It'd just be him and Jasper, finally rounding third base - maybe even going for a homerun, if he was lucky.

And _god_, did he want to get lucky!

Jasper grinned, then slowly - oh, so slowly - ran the flat of his tongue from the base of Edward's shaft to its head. Edward moaned loudly at the pressure from Jasper's tongue ring on his cock, and he had to fight really hard to keep his hands where they were. When Jasper traced his tongue around the rim, Edward let loose with a stream of oaths, followed by, "Oh, god..." when Jasper teased his leaking slit with the ring.

Edward pleaded over and over, "Please, Jasper, please, please," until Jasper finally took him into his warm, wet mouth in a painstakingly slow manner. It had been so long since Edward had received good head - and Jasper was the first guy he'd been with who had a tongue ring. He had to admit that it felt damn good, and he couldn't imagine going without it anymore.

Edward could feel the pressure building inside of him as Jasper licked, sucked, and teased him to the brink. All he could think of was the pleasure Jasper was bringing him - hell, he couldn't even really _think _about that either. It _felt_ too damn good.

And then it all came to a crashing halt as "Brown Eyed Girl" rang out, causing Jasper - who had been mid-suck - to clamp down a little too hard as he jumped at the sound, which in turn caused Edward to yelp in pain.

"Mother fucker!" Jasper growled as he scrambled over Edward to reach his phone.

Edward had curled himself protectively into the fetal position, whimpering and cursing under his breath. Between Jasper accidentally biting him and yet another case of blue balls, he fucking hurt. Jasper shot him an apologetic look, whispering, "Are you okay?" even as he hit the accept call button.

Edward nodded, waving him off. He barely paid any attention to the call as he tried to focus on lessening the pain he was in right then. He was brought out of his attempts by Jasper saying, "You're _what_? Are you fucking_ kidding_ me right now, Pete?"

Edward sat up cautiously, scooting back until he was resting against the headboard. Jasper ran a hand agitatedly through his hair as he listened to Peter's response. All Edward could hear was a loud, angry buzzing sound coming from the phone. He wondered what was going on and if everything was okay with Bella, which he knew to be Jasper's primary concern.

He placed his hand on Jasper's neck, rubbing it gently as he watched. Jasper glanced over at him, giving him another apologetic look as well as an appreciative smile. Edward smiled back, squeezing Jasper's neck lightly to let him know he was okay - just concerned about Jasper.

Jasper pinched the bridge of his nose, making Edward's lips twitch in spite of himself - it was a habit Jasper had picked up from Edward during the time they'd been seeing each other. Jasper huffed, "Fine! But you-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence, as apparently Peter had hung up on him. Edward watched as Jasper stared incredulously at his phone for a moment before shaking his head. When Jasper turned to look at him, Edward knew their plans for the night were canceled. "You have to go, don't you?" he sighed in resignation.

Jasper shook his head, looking a little sheepish. "Err...no, actually, I don't."

Edward's eyes widened in surprise, a lazy grin forming over his lips as he said, "Really?"

Jasper bit his lip as he scratched the back of his head. "Yeah...Pete's bringing Bella over here, instead."

Edward blinked. "What? When?"

Edward glanced at the clock, seeing that it was not even six in the evening. Surely they could still go through with at least _some_ of their plans. He felt his cock twitch at the prospect of getting off, even though he was still smarting a bit from Jasper's biting him earlier. His thoughts were interrupted, however, by a knock on the door, followed by a persistent ringing of the doorbell.

"Now?" Jasper said in an apologetic tone.

Edward groaned, banging his head back against the wall a couple of times as he muttered under his breath, cursing the likes of Peter Swan for always and forever coming between them. He was beginning the think the man had a sixth sense when it came to everything Jasper. He certainly appeared to have an uncanny knack for spoiling all of their fun.

Jasper got up, quickly donning a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. "I'm sorry, Edward...I-"

Another knock was followed by another round of Peter leaning on the doorbell. With a frustrated growl, Jasper hurried out of his bedroom and yelled, "Alright, alright, I'm coming! Hold your horses, already!"

Edward glowered at the door, muttering, "You _would_ have been coming in the foreseeable future..."

With a frustrated sigh, he decided he might as well get dressed, too, since it was obvious their plans for the night had changed. He eyed his jeans warily, then after a moment's indecision decided that he wasn't going to even try to get in them. Not with a case of blue balls - not to mention the biting incident from earlier. Besides, the fabric'd be too rough against his skin.

He briefly entertained the idea of taking a shower and rubbing one off to alleviate the discomfort he was feeling, but he didn't feel right doing so, knowing that Jasper's kid was now in the house. Blood or no blood, he thought, Bella _was_ Jasper's daughter of the heart, and that shit would just be wrong.

Instead, he walked to his overnight bag, pulled out his pajama pants, and gingerly stepped into them, hissing softly when he accidentally brushed his knuckles against his groin. He pulled the shirt he'd been wearing earlier over his head before stepping out into the hallway. He could hear Jasper talking heatedly with someone. He was attempting to keep his voice down, presumably so as not to upset little Bella, who was sitting on the floor by the coffee table as she played with her doll.

Edward couldn't help but smile at the sight of Bella as she quietly sang. He hadn't met her yet, but he'd seen plenty of pictures of her over the past few weeks. She was very cute, her long brown hair cascading down her back in wavy curls. She was wearing a dark blue overall dress with a cream-colored turtleneck underneath.

She didn't appear to pay the adults in the room any mind as she played with her doll - Bree, as Edward overheard her call the toy.

Edward turned his attention to Jasper and Peter, whose voices were rising steadily as they argued. Edward walked up to Jasper, placing his hand on the small of his back in quiet support. He both felt and saw Jasper relax minutely at the contact.

Peter, on the other hand, glared at Edward, his jaw working repeatedly as if he were dying to say something to Edward. The two of them hadn't met before either, and it was obvious to Edward that Peter was sizing him up.

Edward, for his part, took the opportunity to observe Peter and the interaction between him and Jasper.

Peter was handsome enough, to be sure. Edward could definitely see why Jasper had been attracted to him in the first place. But the more he saw and heard, the happier he was that Jasper had broken up with the guy - and not just because it had opened the door for them to get together. He genuinely liked Jasper and wanted him to be happy. Peter was far too petty and controlling for Edward's liking. After all, he should know. Hadn't he dated Caius?

"You can't keep doing this, Pete," Jasper hissed. "I _told_ you I had plans for today!"

Peter all but growled. "What the hell else am I supposed to do when I have to go to work and the sitter calls in sick? You're the one who promised Bells that you'd still be a part of her life - _you're_ the one that chose to leave, _not_ me."

"You know full well-" Jasper started, his voice apparently louder than he intended because he winced and continued in a slightly more subdued manner, "You _know_ why, Peter. And yes, I know I said that, but that doesn't mean you can take advantage-"

Peter stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he pointed at Jasper. Edward bristled slightly when Peter hissed, "You wanna play daddy, you take the responsibility that comes with it as well. Be glad that I'm allowing you-!"

Edward clenched his jaw as he tried to keep his temper in check. The hand he held on Jasper's back pressed harder into the other man's skin, while his free hand balled into a fist. Edward longed to clock Peter for his words - and his actions. What he'd said was a low-blow; he _knew_ how precious that little girl was to Jasper, and for Peter to threaten that bond...

"Don't you _dare_..." Edward said in a low voice, hyper aware that Bella was near.

Peter rounded on Edward at once. "_You_ stay out of this. This is none of your business."

Jasper stepped between the two men, placing his hand on Peter's chest as he pushed the other man back none too gently. His voice was even and hard as he said, "I thought you had to run, Peter? Late for work, weren't you? Leave. I'll take care of Bella, and I'll drop her off at your place tomorrow."

Peter glared at both of them, then pointed a finger at Edward, though he directed his words at Jasper. "I don't want your latest _boy-toy_ anywhere near _my_ daughter."

Edward gaped. He'd heard both the implied threat - and the innuendo that Jasper slept around a lot. Jasper inhaled sharply, and Edward assumed Jasper understood Peter's meaning, too. Jasper turned to Edward and in a calm voice asked him, "Babe, would you take Bella to the kitchen and get her something to drink while I finish up with Pete here?"

Edward nodded, knowing that it would be better to do as Jasper asked; he wasn't at all sure if he'd be able to stay calm, otherwise. He heard Peter start to object, but Jasper cut over him, saying, "No, Pete. You should've thought of that _before_ you called and interrupted my plans. Who I have here is none of your business anymore."

Edward tried to ignore the rest of the conversation as he walked up to the little girl who was still playing with her doll. He ached a little when he overheard her telling Bree in a quiet voice, "Shh, it'll be okay, Bree...Papa and Daddy'll stop fighting soon. It's not your fault... Don't cry, Bree..."

Bella was hugging the doll to her, petting her hair and trying to comfort her. Bella sounded like she was on the verge of tears herself, and it nearly killed Edward to see it. He knelt down next to her and smiled gently. He kept his voice as pleasant as he could and said, "Hello Bella, I'm Edward, your daddy's friend."

Bella eyed him warily, clutching the doll just a little tighter to her body. "Hi," she whispered, glancing briefly to her fathers, who still stood arguing by the door.

The sadness in her eyes broke Edward's heart as she looked back at him. _Children should be happy,_ he thought with a soft sigh. He smiled again, hoping to set little Bella at ease. "Your daddy asked me to get you something to drink. Want to come to the kitchen with me and help me find you one?" He leaned in a little closer and whispered, "Maybe you can show me where he hides the soda, and we can both sneak one in? What do you say?"

Bella frowned at him and in all seriousness said, "Daddy doesn't let me have sodiepops. You shouldn't have them either."

_Crap_, he thought. He'd known Jasper wasn't much for sodas, but he'd banked on Bella liking the sugary drinks just like most other kids did. He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "Well, why don't you show me what you _are _allowed to have?"

Bella nodded her response, her eyes still serious as she looked closely at Edward. It unnerved him a little. Should kids _be_ this serious at her age? Bella got to her feet, still holding Bree in both her arms as she frowned up at Edward. "You should brush your hair, you know. You've got bedhead."

Edward's eyes went wide as blood rushed to his cheeks. He followed her into the kitchen, where she climbed up onto a stool and watched him as he raided the fridge. Figuring he should probably try to stay in the girl's good graces - even if she _was_ only six years old - he asked her if she wanted a snack to go with the glass of orange juice he'd just given her.

Bella rolled her eyes and let out a dramatic sigh, holding out Bree in front of her so she could properly commiserate with the doll. She stage-whispered, "He doesn't know _anything_, does he, Bree?" She turned to look at him and, with another heavy sigh, said, "I'm not supposed to have snacks just before dinner, duh."

"Oh," Edward said, taken aback. He wasn't quite sure what to make of Bella, but he had the distinct feeling that things weren't going too well between them. He was starting to wonder what was taking Jasper so long, wishing the other man would be done already and join them. Being on his own with the girl didn't appear to be a good thing.

Part of him really didn't like that. He _wanted_ for Bella to like him because she was important to Jasper, but so far all he'd done was make the child look down on him.

Thankfully, he heard the front door slam, and not too long after that, Jasper walked into the kitchen. As soon as he stepped into the room, Edward could tell that Jasper had to work to put a smile on his face as he walked toward his daughter. He wrapped his arms around her as she sat on her stool, kissing the top of her head, before saying softly, "Hey, baby girl. You ready to hang out with me and Edward tonight?"

Bella hugged him back tightly, but then she looked up at him with those serious, brown eyes of hers, frowning. "Daddy?" she said softly.

"Yes, pumpkin?" Jasper said, brushing her hair from her face and stroking her cheek with his thumb.

Her frown deepened as she motioned for Jasper to lean down so she could whisper in his ear, "Is Edward why Papa was so mad today?"

Jasper's eyes flashed to Edward's over Bella's head, a pained expression in them as he sighed. Edward lowered his gaze and leaned back against the counter, his hands clutching at the edge even though he wanted nothing more than to step up to Jasper and hold him. He heard Jasper sigh and kiss Bella on the top of her head again.

"No, sweetheart. I don't think so. What made you think that?" he said, though they both knew that that was only partially true.

Bella shrugged her small shoulders and mumbled, "'Cause Papa said...things. He used bad words..."

Edward's eyes locked with Jasper's - Edward's wide with surprise, Jasper's narrowed with anger. Jasper hugged his little girl tighter in his arms. His voice was a bit strained as he assured her everything was alright and that Edward was his good friend. Jasper looked at Edward again, biting his lip as if contemplating something.

Edward suddenly had a twisted feeling in his gut that made him quite forget everything about blue balls and the argument with Peter earlier. His worries were confirmed as Jasper pulled far enough away from Bella to look down at her, tilting the girl's chin up with his finger as he said, "Bella, would it be okay if Edward stayed and spent some time with us?"

Bella frowned again, her lips pursing slightly as she glanced at Edward pensively. Jasper, for his part, shot Edward another apologetic look. Edward could understand why Jasper had asked, but it hurt all the same to know that he might be excluded should Bella decline the option. Suddenly, their night had gone from 'Jasper and Edward' to 'Jasper, Edward, and Bella' to 'Jasper and Bella...and maybe Edward'.

Edward tried hard to keep the hurt from showing on his face, but he wasn't at all sure how successful he was - especially not when Bella once again turned to look at Jasper with those serious eyes and shook her head. Edward's heart plummeted, and he made to walk out of the kitchen when Bella said, "Edward doesn't have to leave, Daddy. That would hurt his feelings, and we don't do that, do we?" She shot a glance at Edward before looking back at Jasper. "I don't mind. It would make you happy if he stayed."

Edward once again stared wide-eyed at Jasper. He had no idea what to make of Bella anymore, but she certainly was an insightful child. He didn't think he'd ever before met a child quite like her, and he was sure he wasn't likely to do so ever again, either.

Jasper smiled at him, then at Bella as he said, "Yes, Pumpkin, it would make me happy if he would stay."

Jasper's eyes cut to Edward again, who hadn't missed the invitation in Jasper's words to Bella. He grinned, nodding. He would stay, and hopefully the three of them would be able to form a bond of their own.

Edward cleared his throat as he stepped up to them and placed a hand on the small of Jasper's back, smiling. "So, Bella, what would you like for dinner then, since you said you weren't allowed any snacks this close to mealtime?"

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**A/N:** So how did y'all like the way naelany continued with the story? If you don't know who naelany is, well, I don't know how you wouldn't know her... She writes her own stories such as _At the Deep End_, but she also is half of Whitlock-Masen that writes the phenomenal fic _Marked_. You can link to naelany's fics from our profile! Up next week we'll see what sorts of twists and turns Fiberkitty can whip up!


	5. Fiberkitty

**Author's Note: ** Thanks so much for inviting me to be a part of this project. Following Naelany is a bit intimidating and there were no character deaths, per the request. I've only killed off Jasper one time, I think. I don't know why everyone told me "no character deaths" like they expected it of me. :) Much love to all of you Jasper and Edward lovers; I'm heading back to Seth and Edward now. ~fiberkitty

* * *

Edward looked at Jasper's shoes and laughed. The only ones they had in his "gunboat" size were a bright turquoise and black with red toes. They really did look like clown shoes. Edward chanced a glance at Jasper's arched eyebrow and knew he was going to be paid back later.

"Yours aren't much better, Edward."

Edward looked down and shrugged. Bowling shoes were never fashionable, even ones owned by the wearer. They were dark brown and white with scuffed toes. Bowling was the one non-sexual interest he and Caius had in common, and they had joined a league in response. That didn't mean he was very good, however.

"The bumpers should be set up by the time we get to the lanes. If you and Bella want to head down to six and seven, I'll put in our order for pizza, chicken strips, iced tea, and fruit punch." With a hard look from the six year old, Edward added, "And a veggie basket."

He then watched a skipping Bella drag her father down the length of the bowling alley, looking for their lanes. Once Edward had suggested pizza and bowling, the father-daughter duo had forgotten, or at least pushed past, the drama with Peter. Edward knew it was far from over, but for now, it was a bad memory they could work through.

As he ordered their food, handing off far more money than it was worth, he could hear that same rich laugh of Jasper's that he had first noticed about him. It was still as sexy as the first time that laugh had graced his ears, perhaps even more so. Now, he was starting to know the man behind that warm chuckle that turned his insides out.

Edward was the first to admit trepidation at jumping into a relationship with someone who had dated someone for seven years, had been a playboy since ending it, _and_ had a daughter, but he knew Jasper was worth it. There were still things he wanted to know about, such as what Peter and Jasper had meant by their vague conversation and threats about why Jasper had left the relationship. Part of him, that slightly vindictive side, wanted to know if the Queen of busybodies who lived in another townhome in the same building as Jasper, had any knowledge on Peter. Alice made it her business to know about people and Edward couldn't see her not having something on Peter that could help turn the tides in their favor.

Taking their pitchers of tea and juice from the cashier, Edward walked over to Jasper and Bella, watching as they tried her out with different pink and purple marbled balls, finding one she could lift up onto the ramp without her father's assistance. Seeing Edward coming up to them, Jasper grinned and winked, pointing over to the little table he had set his bag on.

Edward fell into the familiar rhythm of putting on his bowling gloves, fingers sliding through, flexing and stretching his palm until the fit was just right. The black and green Brunswick still fit him as if they had been made especially for his hands, and the contrast stitching seemed to glow in the black lights that were coming on for the nighttime bowling. A hitched breath caused Edward to look up and see Jasper staring as he fastened the wrist strap on each of them. Edward _knew _that sound really well.

"See something you like?" Edward whispered, not wanting Bella to overhear while she showed her bowling ball to Bree. In response, Jasper nodded and swallowed, his eyes glued to the leather and mesh wrapping his almost-lover's hands.

Wanting to lighten the mood a bit, Edward poked fun at Jasper. "No choking on these balls, Jasper. I'm not sure they'd fit in your mouth." Edward pointed over to the rack as he pulled out his from the bag. He turned away to avoid seeing Jasper's flush and settled his ball in next to the sparkling, pink atrocity on the return.

The game started in Edward's favor, it truly did, but by the fifth frame, Bella was kicking both their asses, with all three of them using the bumpers. "Jasper, you need to get her on a kids' league or something through her school or here. She's got talent." She was still watching them carefully, but was warming up to Edward as the evening went on, despite giving him a lecture that "fried broccoli is not healthy." Later though, when Jasper had excused himself to use the restroom, Bella had confided in Edward that the onion rings dipped in ketchup were her favorite.

"What's that, Edward?" Bella climbed up on the swiveling chair beside him and was looking at his shoulder. "Did you draw on yourself?"

Both men quickly downed another sip of tea, trying to hide their laughs. "Umm... No; well, sort of, Bella. I have tattoos. That one on my shoulder is one of the drawings I made years ago and is what helped me get the job I have now. So, I took the drawing to an artist who could make it permanent. Here, let me show you this one on my arm." Edward rolled up his sleeve and showed the lion to Bella as Jasper clicked his tongue ring against his teeth, watching the two with amusement.

It was rare for Bella to warm up to anyone, and given the rough start Edward and Bella had, Jasper was grateful that he was being given this slight reprieve. Edward was already too important to just push away because Peter was being... well, Peter. He knew for Bella's sake, as well as for their budding relationship, they would have to move slowly. Well, not _that_ slow, given how fast things had gone chemistry-wise between them. They both needed to get a good, hard, fucking out of their systems so they could ensure something was there besides lust.

After this _sleepover_, Jasper would have to ensure that nights Bella was with Peter were the only nights Edward stayed over until he knew Edward was a semi-permanent fixture in their lives. Right now, though, watching his little girl talk to his boyfriend was just about the sweetest thing he'd ever seen.

"Edward, can you draw on me with markers when we get back? I want you to draw Bree on my tummy." When a pair of green eyes and then brown looked up at Jasper, and twin conspiratorial pouts tried to melt his heart, he just laughed.

"As long as they're washable so your Papa doesn't get mad."

Edward knew, however, that it wasn't over, and watched as Bella turned one yes into another. "Daddy? Can we have Edward take us out for ice cream, too? Bree really wants ice cream."

~0~

The couch was overstuffed, smelled of Jasper, and was as far away as he could get from the phone conversation Jasper was having with Peter in his bedroom. Bella was in the bath, the door cracked open, and Edward could hear her singing as she washed off the remnants of her ice cream that had gone everywhere. With his feet up on the coffee table, the television turned down low as background noise, he almost felt at home here. With the warm colors, Jasper's cologne and just that natural scent of him permeating the air, and the memories of how fun a night the three of them had, Edward could see this being something _real_. It was something he could fight for already. Plus, his parents, especially Esme, would love Bella.

Esme. _Shit._ Edward had forgotten to check his phone since leaving home, and pulled it out of his pocket to see no less than two calls and four text messages from his parents, each asking how the week went. Sending back a quick message that he was fine and staying the night elsewhere, he was unsurprised when his phone soon lit up with his parents' photograph and vibrated.

"Hello?"

His mother's voice was amused as she repeated his greeting. "Edward, I know you're too old for me to check in on like this, but isn't this a bit soon for you to be staying over with someone?"

"He's not like Garrett, I promise."

"That's good to hear." Edward jumped as Jasper spoke from behind him. He was in flannel pants and a thermal top that clung to his torso indecently.

"Who is that?" Esme asked.

Edward, feeling put on the spot, sighed before answering. "That is Jasper, my _boyfriend_," he said while twisting his neck to gauge Jasper's reaction. When his personal cowboy smiled and nodded, it felt as if the weight of the world had been removed from Edward's shoulders. He'd been worried that giving their relationship a name would be a step in the wrong direction. Anticipating the next question from his mother, Edward kept his face neutral when Esme asked when she'd get to meet Jasper.

"I'm not sure, Mom. It's still early," and after taking a deep breath, he added, "and we'd be bringing his daughter."

Chuckling at the conversation going on, Jasper left Edward to his call while he went to get Bella's hair washed and get her ready for bed. When she finally let him get in a word edgewise, he asked her the one question that would make the difference in his relationship with Edward. "Pumpkin, what do you think of my friend?"

"He's nice and he makes you happy. He took us out to play bowling and get ice cream. Bree and I think he's okay."

Jasper filled the plastic cup and dumped it over Bella's head, his eyes watching the bubbles run over her shoulders. His baby girl was growing up. "I like him, Bella, the way your daddy and I liked each other when you were really little."

"Do I still get my own room here?"

Jasper nodded and reached for the bathtub's plug. "Of course you do, Baby girl. No matter what, you're always first in my heart. I love you, Bella." Wrapping her up in the Little Mermaid hooded towel, she looked far younger than her six years, and he worried what the next few days would be like after she was back with Peter. His ex was irate that Edward was staying the night with Bella there. Jasper hated knowing that "Papa" was going to be mad when Bella went back, but there was little he could do.

"Love you, too, Daddy."

Jasper left her alone in the bathroom to get her teeth brushed and change into her pajamas while he went out to check on Edward. "It'll just be a few more minutes and then I'll be back. You okay out here?" He reached over the couch, letting his fingers rest on Edward's chest before slowly running them up to his chin and tilting his face back to press an upside down kiss upon Edward's lips.

Edward smiled into Jasper's kiss, feeling his cheeks stretch with his happiness. "I'm fine, Jasper," he whispered against the still pressing lips. "Reaching up to tug on a lock of blond hair hanging out, Edward slid to the side. "Go get her tucked in and then we can flip through the channels a bit before bed."

Jasper had never rushed through the bedtime routine so fast. Three songs became the two shortest ones he knew, and when he turned on the monitor so he could hear her in the bedroom or living room, Jasper said a little prayer that she'd sleep until morning without a sound. Just for good measure, after grabbing a few little things from the bedroom closet, he even fastened the gate at the end of the hallway so they'd have an extra warning if she came out without him hearing. Jasper had plans.

Plans that involved Edward at least mostly naked on the couch or living room floor.

"Edward," he softly called as he walked into the room. The way Edward looked stretched out on the couch was somewhere between sensual delight and the comfort of someone who belonged there. Jasper hoped that his past would not catch up with him and ruin this relationship, too. "I'm not sorry about how the evening went; I'm glad you were able to spend time with Bella, but I am so sorry about how we were interrupted earlier. How are you?" he asked while his eyes obviously dropped to Edward's lap.

"Getting my jeans back on before bowling was uncomfortable. I think you might have bruised me a little." Edward's voice had started in a low tone and ended in a whisper.

Jasper's wince turned into a full-body shudder. "Sorry about that too. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

Edward pursed his lips as he thought, then shook his head, already feeling his lust awakening at having Jasper alone. "We probably shouldn't do anything I'm thinking about while Bella is here."

"That depends, Edward, how quiet can you be?" Jasper held out the handful of things he'd brought: condoms, lube, and a black silk scarf. "If you can't be quiet, you could always bite down on this," Jasper offered as he dangled the scarf. "So, can I kiss it and make it better?"

Edward bit back a laugh as Jasper dropped to his knees while he asked, the husky, need-filled voice at odds with the pure merriment sparkling in those blue eyes. Edward let his fingers fall to his pants, and he started to carefully undo the zipper and button while Jasper watched. By the time he had the zipper done and was lifting his hips to pull the denim off, his cock was already swelling, the blood pulsing in time with his heartbeat, stiffening the length. He wanted to feel that tongue ring sliding across the head again.

Jasper didn't make him wait long before pulling down Edward's underwear and taking the hardening length into his mouth, tongue swirling along the slit at the top before he let the erection go long enough to kiss the sore spot. "Forgive me?" he murmured before taking the cock back into his mouth.

"I, ung, uh-huh," Edward finally gasped out, biting the side of his hand to try and keep back a moan as Jasper bobbed his head up and down. His other hand rested in the silky soft waves, not guiding, just there, feeling Jasper's movements. The vibrations of Jasper's pleasured hum were too much. The coil went from tight to near bursting in just a few seconds. "Jasper, stop. Please. Too much. Going to come. Jasper. Please." Edward tightened his grip on Jasper's hair, trying to pull him off him, and Jasper just kept on flicking his tongue anywhere it could. It had been too long since someone had seen just to his pleasure like this and he was going to explode soon. "Jasper, I... oh fuck."

Jasper looked up in time to see Edward's head fall back onto the couch as his whole body lifted, shaft spasming. A muffled groan was stifled by Edward's hand as he tried to stay quiet. Jasper swallowed rapidly, his eyes still locked on the look of ecstatic intimacy on Edward's face. He was so beautiful.

With one last lick to the softening cock, Jasper pulled away and wiped his lips on the back of his hand. "Feeling better?"

A sleepy nod from Edward made Jasper laugh, and he stood up. "Let's go take a shower."

"But you..." Edward reached for Jasper's cock through the pants, the head peeking out above his waistband.

"You can't be quiet enough... Let's go get in the shower. We'll take care of me later."

~0~

Later didn't take very long to arrive. They had barely washed each other's hair before Jasper shoved Edward up against the plastic wall enclosure and starting nipping at the back of his neck. "I like smelling my shampoo on you."

Edward turned his neck, his lips brushing Jasper's roughly. "I like tasting me on your lips."

Jasper lapped at the sensitive flesh of Edward's jaw, letting his tongue ring tease the edge of Edward's ear before he eased soap-slicked fingers down to rub Edward's ass. "I want to fuck you. As beautiful as I can imagine you being down on your knees in front of me, I really want to lift your leg up onto the seat for leverage, push your back down a bit so your ass is right there, and then fill you up with _this._" Jasper slid the head of his cock in between the taut globes and pressed enticingly.

"What happened to later?" Edward teased.

"That was before I had your naked ass in my shower, had felt you rubbing against me as we washed, and could see you already getting hard again. Is it, all of this, I mean, too soon for you?"

Edward shook his head, cooling water scattering in the motion, and then blew more drops from his face, ruffling the forelocks of his hair. "Did you bring those condoms with you?"

Jasper nodded. "On the shelf. I just have to reach outside the curtain. Are you sure about this?" Jasper held his breath as Edward turned full to look at him, the need in those enchanting green eyes holding him spell-bound. Full, rosy lips, still swollen from their heated kisses, pouted before parting to reveal white teeth.

"Jasper, get the goddamned condom and fuck me. Please," he added an afterthought. Edward needed to feel Jasper against him, needed some reassurance that despite Peter's words earlier- Edward was not just a boytoy to Jasper, and he needed to hear Jasper come undone.

What he needed...

What he needed was soon forgotten as Edward moved into the position Jasper had requested, leaning against the back of the shower, his right leg up on the seat, and a lube-slicked finger begged entrance, then pressed in, the ache of being stretched making Edward push down and back, seeking more pressure. A second finger joined the first, and the burning started again before Edward's body relaxed, relented to Jasper's skill as the blond whispered how hot Edward looked.

Both were more than emotionally ready for this by the time Edward was fucking himself back onto Jasper's fingers. Whatever doubts they may have had were erased as Jasper's condom-wrapped cock replaced his fingers. "Hold..." Jasper drifted off as Edward seemed to read his mind and grasped the towel bar that was at shoulder height. He pushed forward, the tight heat hugging his body as they thrust together.

Jasper glanced down, watching where they joined, looking at the slicked surfaces as Edward tilted forward, and he had to close his eyes. It was too intense physically, mentally, every which way. His body lurched closer to Edward, his chest sealing against the redhead's back. Jasper suddenly needed more than a fuck in the shower, and he pulled out slowly.

"Bed. Now."

They soaked the sheets as they fell into the bed still wet, tongues and lips mashing together as they tried to get close enough again. Hard cocks rubbed as hips rotated and thrust, the condom from the shower discarded on the way to the bed. Edward fumbled blindly with the foil packet on the bed, and reached down between their bodies, sighing as he grasped the hot, hard shaft and tugged gently. "Let's finish this, Jasper."

Together they rolled the condom down Jasper's cock, and Edward reached for the lube, putting more on himself and Jasper, then pulled his lover down to him for another kiss. Their lips were still joined as Jasper's hand guided him back inside Edward, and then he fell forward onto Edward, the water making their skin slip.

Their hands soon clasped together, connected from the tips of their fingers up over Edward's head, and all the way down their legs. Sharing breath, sharing themselves, and like that, there was nothing they could hide with their eyes looking into each other's. The past didn't matter, neither did the future, just right now.

Edward came first, the movement of their abdomens sending him over the edge, and Jasper felt the groan as the slim body beneath him arched up. He released Edward's hands, pushed up on the bed, and he thrust harder until he too reached that peak and collapsed onto Edward.

~0~

Edward woke up sometime after two to use the bathroom, and when coming back, he stood in the doorway between the en-suite bathroom and the bedroom to just look at Jasper. They had hastily changed the linens and put on their pajama pants before collapsing, hands still seeking connection as they tossed and turned until finding a comfortable way to sleep, ending with Jasper's arm around Edward's waist. His eyes drifted over Jasper, who was reaching further across the bed, trying to find Edward while still asleep. Moving to close the door, the nightlight glinted off the photo of Jasper and Bella that was hanging on the wall.

Well, the light glinted off one spot on the frame. Edward went to take a peek at it and saw a small circle, about a half inch in diameter, that protruded slightly from the frame. Reaching up to touch it, the smooth glass was easily pressed in. Curious, Edward felt behind the frame, and his fingers met the back of a device.

"What the fuck?" Jasper was into recording himself? "Jasper, wake up."

"Hmm?" Jasper wiped at his eyes and tried to focus on the half-clothed Edward across the room. "What's wrong?"

"When were you going to tell me about the cameras?" Edward pulled the frame up and off the wall as he shoved open the bathroom door again, giving enough light to show the hidden camera. "I can be just as kinky as the next guy, and I was all for earlier when you made me not move my hands, but this... this is too much."

Jasper fell out of the bed and scrambled over to Edward, part hands and knees, and then on stumbling feet until he held the frame. "I swear to you I didn't do this. I swear on my love for my daughter I didn't do this." He shook his head. "I'm going to kill Peter." Both men thought of all the times Peter had called about Bella in the heat of the moment.

"Not if I do first, Jasper." Edward was talking to Jasper's back as he went for his phone, already dialing Peter as Edward joined him beside the bed.

"_Pick the fuck up, Peter._" Jasper tapped his foot and pointed over to the closet where his shirt had ended up on the floor. Taking the less-than-subtle hint, Edward fetched it for him. When Peter answered, laughing and drunk, sounds of some bar or club in the background, Jasper lost it. In a harsh whisper that carried all the threat of a scream, Jasper let loose his rage. "Peter Motherfucking Swan, do you care to enlighten me as to why there was a video camera installed in my bedroom? Or even why you're not at work? That one would work, too."

Edward got himself dressed, knowing sleep was over for the night, and was zipping up his jeans while Jasper held a one-sided conversation, Peter not offering up much besides his admission of guilt. "Get your ass here, now." There was a pause as Jasper wiped his face. "How much did you drink?"

Jasper started reaching on the dresser for his keys as he listened to Peter's words slur together. "No, for Bella's sake, you're not driving."

Knowing what had to be done, Edward grabbed the keys from Jasper's hand. "Jasper, you can't leave her here with me. If Bella wakes up, she'll freak not having you here. I'll go."

* * *

**A/N: **Whoa. Who saw *that* coming? None of us...ha! And that's the beauty of writing this round robin style! If you want to read more from **Fiberkitty**, pop on over to her profile to see her work her magic with all sorts of slashy pairings, like the in the incredibly hot Emmett and Jasper story, **The Ranch Hand**.

Join us next week when we see what **Zigster** does with this latest development!**  
**


	6. Zigster

**A/N:** BeautifulFigment beta'd. :-)

* * *

Edward's hands clenched the steering wheel, hard and twisting as he sped down the highway at whatever-the-hell-hour-it-was in the morning. He was alone on the road, his headlights blazing ahead of him as he pressed on the gas just a_ little bit_ harder. The engine whined in protest, but he had no patience for caution; he was pushing ninety and he didn't care.

Jasper had been texting him directions, laments, and apologies the entire time. He ignored most of them, too angered to do much else than punch the address of the bar into the GPS and drive. He'd read Jasper's words later, when he was calm, and not wielding a moving weapon in his hands.

As if on cue, his phone buzzed in his lap. He looked down to see Jasper's name and hit the speaker button, waiting for him to talk while the sounds of the windows rattling in their holds and the wail of the engine deadened the silence.

"Edward?"

"Yeah." His voice was gruff.

"Do you want me to stay on the phone with you?"

"No." He hated being blunt, but it was all he had to give right then. "Is Bella still sleeping?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm so sorry."

Edward shook his head and slammed his hand onto the steering wheel upon hearing the pain in Jasper's tone. "Dammit!"

He waited several moments, counting down from ten in his head, before speaking again. "Jasper, _none_ of this is your fault. None. _Please_, stop apologizing." His teeth ground together as he spoke, his fingers twisting around the wheel to the point of pain; the plastic creaked beneath him as if begging mercy.

"Okay...get home soon."

The line went dead before Edward could take in the full weight of Jasper referring to his house as _home _to Edward. It sounded right coming from him, and as Edward rolled the word off his tongue into the silence of the truck, his breath misting, fogging the windshield with its evidence, he felt the same.

Forcing his attention back on the road, he pressed his foot down on the gas, touching it to the floor behind the pedal, and drove on.

. . .

The music was loud and abrasive against his ears as he pushed through the many sweaty bodies in the bar. He craned his neck over them all as they twisted together and ground against each other, searching out the voyeuristic dick he knew was hiding somewhere in a corner.

Jasper had said that Peter would stay put but Edward had almost hoped that the man would run so he could chase him down and shove his face into the gravel and glass of the littered curb.

Not that that would be considered overkill or anything.

"Peter!" He shouted, seeing him in the back, his arm draped over some girl's shoulders. Edward wondered if the little thing knew of Peter's penchant for dick.

"Can I help you?" the girl said with too much attitude.

"Yeah, please move. I'm taking this guy with me."

"Like hell, you are."

Edward—trying desperately to remember the proper protocol for handling an irate teenager—stepped the jail-bait to the side and leaned in close to her ear. "It's not the time to mess with me, kid. Leave it alone."

The girl huffed and stalked off to find a new sugar-daddy while Edward hauled the dazed-looking Peter up by his arm.

"Ge'off me!"

Edward punched him just hard enough to knock him out. In Peter's current state, he could have bitch slapped him across the face and it would have done the job, but that wouldn't have been as satisfying. He dragged him out of the bar without anyone noticing the unconscious man in his arms, and didn't bother buckling him into his seat when they'd reached the truck.

By the time they'd arrived back at Jasper's, Edward noticed that Peter's face bore a distinct greenish tint and took it as a small triumph. He stepped down out of the truck and stood awkwardly to the side with his arms folded across his chest as Jasper hauled Peter out of the cab and pushed him up against the door. Peter's head lolled.

"What the hell did he take?"

"I may have punched him," Edward admitted, his head bowed.

Jasper grinned at him.

"Can I borrow your keys?" He asked.

"What?"

"You're blocking me in, and I want to take care of the cameras right now. Can I please borrow your keys?" Jasper repeated.

"Sure..." With a strange sense of loss Edward dropped the key chain into Jasper's hands and watched as he put Peter back in the passenger seat and himself behind the wheel.

"What about Bella?"

Jasper's eyes snapped shut as a crease of pain shot through his features. "Edward, I'm in no position to ask...but...I can't let this go." He gestured to Peter still passed out next to him.

"Let me help you. I'll come—"

"No." His eyes opened, only to find Edward standing outside the truck's door looking broken. "Please stay with Bella. She's sleeping and I'll be back as soon as I can. Just...please."

Edward forced his mouth shut and nodded, feeling the burden of too much weight placed upon his shoulders. So much had happened in one evening, how the hell was he going to feel about all this in the morning when the adrenaline died down and he had nothing but a clear head to contemplate the situation with?

Watching Jasper pull out of the driveway and disappearing down the street was harder than Edward had expected. He wrapped his arms around his middle, feeling the bite of the night air cut through him, remembering that Bella was still sleeping inside. He jogged up the porch steps and into the house, resigned.

Edward checked on Bella one last time before he dragged his tired limbs to the sofa, feeling too out of sorts and uncomfortable to sleep in Jasper's room. Seeing her still sound asleep in her bed, clutching tight to Bree, gave him an odd sense of peace, and he fell asleep rather easily knowing Peter was going to get what was coming to him.

. . .

"So what happened after that?" Alice asked, peeking over a rack of _artfully distressed_—or so the sign said—plaid shirts in the clothing store she had dragged Edward to.

"I went and picked his drunk ass up at this dive bar in the city, then drove back to Jasper's."

"You didn't kill him?" Alice looked particularly disappointed. She had never liked Peter.

"No, I didn't."

"Edward, your hands..." They were clenched so tight, Alice could see the white of his knuckles turning a distinct pink from the strain. She tried to pry open one of his fists but to no avail; Edward was seething.

"Every time, Alice. _Every_. Time. We were together he'd call. He saw everything."

Edward shook his head, and rolled his shoulders, trying to lessen the tension in his body. Alice grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the store and down the street. She'd been petrified that he'd harm the merchandise.

Once Edward noticed that they were no longer in Hipster-Wet-Dream central, he turned to Alice with an arched eyebrow. "Wait, don't we need to pick up packaging samples or something for work?"

"Not right now."

"Alice," he protested. "I want to get this shit over with."

"First of all!" Alice halted, holding up her hand. "That store is not shit. Second! You need to calm down before you accidentally stab a kitten. Now come on."

"Where are we going?"

"To get drunk."

Thirty minutes, and many rounds of shots later, Edward and Alice were officially smashed at noon on a Saturday.

Classy.

"Ya'know," Edward mumbled, "I really wanted to kill that fucker. Like, really wante'ta twist his balls so hard they'd pop right off in my hand." He emphasized his point by twisting his fist in the air as if he were actually attempting such a feat. Alice grimaced at the visual, not used to Edward showing so much emotion. Normally, he was not a violent man.

"Charming."

"I know." Edward continued to squeeze the shit out of the imaginary set of balls and Alice quickly called for another round to distract him.

"Did you get all the tapes?" She asked a few minutes later after they'd finished coughing from the burn of the alcohol.

"I dunno. I had to stay at the house with Bella. Jasper woke me up when he got back bu'he didn' say much an' I'd been too...whatever, to ask." Edward's face fell at the memory. The look in Jasper's eyes when he'd asked him to watch Bella had been apologetic and yet, strained. The situation was so messed up, so perverse and utterly unbelievable that Edward thought Jasper would want help to deal with the weight of it. But then, who would be there for Bella?

A sudden surge of anger shot through Edward at the thought of Peter being so cavalier when he was supposed to be the true father to the girl. He slammed his fist on the table.

"Whoa!" Alice jumped from the sound. She'd dozed slightly during Edward's internal dilemma.

"Sorry."

"Let's get out of'ere."

"Yeah."

Stumbling down the sidewalk in the noonday sun isn't really the most attractive image a pair of friends could display to the world, but Alice and Edward really didn't care right then. They were too busy trying to hold each other up to notice the stares from the passers by.

"Fuck, we need coffee."

"Yes! Good plan."

"Kay. Where the fuck do we get coffee?"

"Oh." While Alice spun in a circle looking for the nearest coffee chain to scrounge caffeine from, Edward noticed they were on the same street as the tattoo shop where he'd gotten most of his ink done. Without thinking, he stepped down off the curb and crossed the street towards the large neon sign shouting TATTOO at him.

Alice was yelling behind him, but Edward was on a mission. He wanted to rid himself of some of his pent up energy, bleed forth the anger he felt for Peter into the air, get it out of his system. What better way to do that then with new ink?

Better plan. Brilliant plan.

"Edward, the Dunkin' is down the street, what are you..." Her voice trailed off as she took in the glazed over look in her friend's eyes. "No."

"What?"

"No, Edward. You're not going in there."

"Like hell I'm not." He wrenched open the door a moment later and was greeted with warm smiles from the staff despite Alice hanging off his arm like some kind of unremovable growth.

"Ed! Dude, how's it going?"

"Fucking great, Dean, how you doing?"

Dean threw his head back and laughed. He knew a drunk Edward when he saw one.

"Nah uh, Eddy. Get out."

Edward's face dropped. "What?"

"You're drunk."

"Am not!"

"Yes, you are. You're cursing. You never curse unless you're smashed."

Alice folded her tiny arms across her chest and raised her chin in a moment of pure satisfaction. She was extremely smug about being right. Edward scowled down at her before running his hand through his hair and leveling Dean with his eyes.

"Look. I've had a shit week and I just wanna blow off some steam and get some new ink."

"You should make these decisions sober, my man." Dean clapped him on the back and walked away, leaving Edward standing awkwardly in the front section of the shop. He sagged and leaned on the counter, staring down at the jewelry in the cases.

"Can I help you?" A boy had come out from the back room, snapping off his black latex gloves and discarding them in the nearest bin.

Alice squeaked and bounced a little on her toes. "You're cute!"

The boy behind the counter beamed, brushing his chestnut hair out of his eyes as he preened. "So are you, little lady."

Alice blushed.

Edward extended his hand. "Hey, I'm Edward. This is Alice. You're new here?"

"Yup." The man-boy rocked on his heels and shook hands with Edward. Despite the rolled up sleeves of his open flannel showing several adornments to his skin, and the bullet belt he wore around his extremely low slung, hip-hugging jeans, he looked to be all of eighteen. "I'm Brent."

Alice giggled. The man-boy smiled at her.

"You old enough to work here?" Edward asked.

"I'm 25. That old enough for you?"

Edward had the distinct impression that he was being hit on by the kid. It was slightly unsettling.

Shaking his head, he pointed down at a random piece of jewelry in the case.

"What's that one?"

Brent's eyes widened before a slow grin spread across his face. "That's a barbell for a frenum piercing. You want one?"

It was Edward's turn to go bug-eyed as Alice fell into a bout of giggles next to him. Staring intently at the silver barbell in the case, he had a crazy idea that could have either been brought on by the alcohol, or the stress of the past two days, he wasn't sure. But when he thought about it, yes, he did want one. He'd gotten ink all over, why not add a piercing to the list of his body art?

_Damn, I really must be drunk_, he thought, but quickly shook his head of any rationality before nodding to the kid.

"I'll take it."

Alice immediately stopped laughing and Brent blinked at him. He hadn't expected him to say yes.

"Edward, no. Are you insane?"

"Actually, a frenum piercing heals faster than you would expect since the penis is extremely vascular. And the piercing itself adds a whole other dimension of pleasure when it comes to sex."

"And you'd know this, how?" Alice asked, her hands on her hips. The man-boy just smiled back at her.

"Besides having doled them out to dudes for the past five years? I gave one to my boyfriend." Brent's face took on an air of a fond memory. "He loves it."

Edward could tell that Alice wanted to stay mad but her eyes had glazed over slightly at the boy's words, clearly picturing the whole scenario playing out in her head. "Well, damn," she said to no one a few minutes later, still dazed from her blatant imaginings.

"If you're serious about this, there are several things we need to go over first."

Before Alice could stomp her foot and demand that Edward leave with her right that second, Edward was following the kid into the back room. It was like he had tunnel vision, everything else had fallen away except for the excitement of getting something new added to his body.

Was he running from his troubles? Yes.

Was sticking something through your dick the smartest way to run from said troubles? Probably not.

Did he care at that moment? Hell no.

Fifteen minutes—and one hell of an in-depth penis discussion—later, Edward was freaked out, excited, and decidedly more sober than he had been when he'd walked in.

Gulping down the nerves he felt at the crazy thing he was about to do to his body, he rubbed his hands over his face and said, "Let's do this."

Brent just smiled.

"What?"

"Come back when you're sober, pretty boy."

Edward's face fell and Alice giggled. "You just got called pretty by the man-child."

. . .

"I was just taking a freakin' nap, dude," Jasper grumbled as he trudged to the front door. He opened it with a grunt. Whoever was knocking had been way too over zealous. "What?"

His face morphed into an awkward smile filled with relief and apology the instant he realized it was Edward standing in front of him. "Oh."

For a few strained seconds both men rocked on their heels and looked every which way but at each other. Edward had left earlier that morning after a quick kiss and a stumble out the door telling Jasper to call him if he needed anything, but now, standing before him, Edward suddenly felt like an asshole. He'd been so ready to help Jasper deal with the insanity the night before but in the bright light of day he'd somehow forgotten. What was wrong with him?

Cold feet.

Cold feet and one hell of a wake up call when he found an owl-eyed Bella sitting in front of him whispering worried things to Bree cradled in her arms. She'd looked petrified, wondering where her father was, and thankfully, he'd burst in the door not a moment later. Seeing Bella fling herself at Jasper—her little limbs clinging tight to his torso—Edward threw on his coat and bolted for the door. He couldn't leave fast enough: the girl needed her father and he needed air.

Seeing Jasper again, rumpled from sleep and barefoot, Edward wanted to kick himself for ever leaving. Without thinking too hard about it, Edward stepped forward and wrapped himself around the man, burying his nose into his neck.

"Is Bella here?"

Jasper shook his head as Edward nibbled at the skin of his throat. "No. She's...with...Rose and Emmett."

"Who are they?" Edward asked as he kissed away the red marks his teeth had left.

"Neighbors. Friends."

The two men were moving backward into the house, stumbling slightly as one of them shoved their leg out to push the door closed.

"Perfect."

They fell onto the sofa in a tangle of limbs. Edward quickly straddled Jasper and pushed his shoulders back into the cushions, holding him in place. "I had an idea."

Jasper's eyebrow quirked upward. "An idea?"

"Yup."

"Care to explain?"

Edward smiled and shook his head. "I'd rather do this..." he said, leaning in for a kiss.

"Well, I like that."

Jasper's hands were holding hard onto Edward's hips, helping him move just so against him. It was becoming blatantly obvious that both men were straining in their pants; something had to give, and Edward was banking on their clothes.

He tore off his shirt and started to unbutton Jasper's, teasing down every bit of newly exposed skin. Jasper's head lolled back, moaning at the onslaught of Edward's tongue and wondering where in the hell all this was coming from.

"Edward, what's gotten into you?"

"Vodka."

Jasper was going to comment with something along the lines of _what the fuck, it's three in the afternoon_, but Edward took that moment to bite down hard on Jasper's left nipple and whatever he was going to say was replaced with a whispered, "fuck."

"Exactly."

Buttons were popped, zippers were pulled down, drawstrings were untied, and hips were shoved upward as jeans and sweats went from being snugged around hips to flung across the furniture. To Edward's wicked delight, Jasper had foregone putting on a pair of boxers beneath his sweats. He smirked up at the man before nipping at his skin and running his tongue along the V of his hips down towards the promised land of Jasper's erection.

"Edward...shouldn't we...talk?"

He shook his head. "Can't talk, too busy."

Loud, sucking noises hit the air, just as Jasper's head hit the back of the sofa. He squeezed his eyes shut as the man on his knees in front of him did dirty, devilish things between his thighs. He was barreling towards something intense and explosive faster than he'd expected, and tapped Edward on the shoulder, drawing his attention.

With a final lick up the base of his shaft, Edward let his hands take over and arched an eyebrow at Jasper.

"Come up here," he said, pulling at his arms and reclining himself on the cushions. Edward followed, drawn willingly by temptation, but when Jasper went to grab for his hips, Edward paused.

"Straddle me," Jasper explained, and Edward's expression turned from quizzical to excitement tinged with lust. He allowed his hips to be guided backwards and carefully placed his knees on either side of Jasper's head. When he looked down at the new angle and the feast laid out before him, impressive and proud atop Jasper's stomach, he moaned with anticipation and gladly gorged himself on the taste of Jasper's skin.

Heads bobbed and hands fisted as the two men struggled not to thrust their hips too hard, or push too fast, both wanting the sweet suction to never end. But perfection that good wasn't meant to last and with simultaneous convulsions of writhing bodies, they crested and crashed together, going limp; a yin and yang flattened and melted into a persistent memory.

Afterward, as the two men lounged on each other, panting and nuzzling into damp skin of thighs and hips, Edward realized something. "Jasper?" He said. "What about the cameras?"

Jasper rubbed his hands over his face, the harsh slap of reality bringing him out of his post-orgasmic haze. "They're gone."

Amazed, Edward moved to rest his head on his hand, looking down his body where Jasper lay, relaxed and sleepy by his knees. He saw the relief on the man's face and was suddenly overcome with guilt.

"I should have stayed," he said, untangling his limbs from Jasper's to sit upright on the couch.

"No, Edward, it's fine. This isn't something you signed on for."

"Yeah, but damn." He dropped his head into his hands. "How many?"

"Three."

"Shit." He waited a moment, rolling the new information over in his mind before asking, "Peter?"

"Scared shitless. I called my lawyer."

Edward barely managed to keep his jaw from hitting the floor like in some silly cartoon, and forced a nod before grabbing his jeans off the coffee table where they'd landed.

"You're running, aren't you?" Jasper asked, his face pained.

"What? No."

"You can. After last night...I understand."

Edward's shock gave way to a flare of anger at seeing Jasper so sullen before him. He shoved his feet into the pant legs of his jeans with too much momentum and almost toppled into Jasper before landing on his knees hard. He put his hands on either side of Jasper's hips and stared him dead in the eye.

"Jasper, if I were freaked or second guessing this whole thing, do you think I'd be here right now?"

After a moment's hesitation Jasper tilted his head, and said, "probably not?"

"No, Jasper. The answer is no. If I wanted to run, I would have. Now come on." Edward pulled Jasper up by the arms and threw his flannel at him. "I'm taking you somewhere."

With curiosity getting the better of him, Jasper buttoned up his shirt and jogged to his room to replace his sleep sweats with a pair of jeans. In less than three minutes he was standing at the door wondering what had gotten Edward so keyed up.

They drove in silence, Jasper throwing constant looks over towards Edward, who promptly ignored each one, too nervous to actually explain the insanity he was contemplating. For one thing, he felt stone-cold sober, and his reasoning from before seemed much less solid than it did now, but he wanted to get Jasper's mind off of privacy violations and impending custody battles and what better way to do that than with needles and penis jewelry?

Edward snorted at his own internal musings, which only made Jasper that much more frustrated at his sudden silence. When they pulled into a parking lot off the back of a brightly painted old-brick building that had been converted from something ancient looking to practically shouting the essence of punk and glam with it's kaleidoscope of paint colors, the hairs on the back of Jasper's neck stood on end.

"Edward, where are we?"

He merely grinned and got out of the truck. Jasper followed, quick to catch up to his heels.

Walking in the back door like he owned the place, he was greeted with a gentle laugh from a man who introduced himself as Dean to Jasper.

"Nice to meet you," Jasper said, shaking hands with the heavily inked man. Dean wore a fedora with a plaid ribbon wrapped around it and a belt buckle the size of Texas, which held up his baggy, shredded jeans. Jasper recognized the buckle immediately. It was a skull n' crossbones whose mouth worked as a bottle opener.

"Hey man, I got the same one," he said, smiling.

"No shit, I picked this up in New Orleans the last time I was down."

"Dude, me too!"

Edward smiled as Jasper spoke to his friend and walked over to the kid sitting behind the glass cases up front. He was reading a book with earbuds shoved in his ears, not paying attention, and Edward managed to catch a glimpse of spine before the kid blushed red and threw the book down behind the counter, out of his eye-line.

"Henry Miller?" Edward said, smirking.

The kid nodded. "I like his dirty words."

Regaining his composure, the man-child sat up straight on his stool and squared his shoulders. "So, you're back. Sober and still willing?"

"Yup."

"Awesome." He started pulling out papers and pointing to things. "It's gonna be this much for a single piercing, but if you want to do a couple's deal, it'll be cheaper."

"Couple's?"

"Yeah, that's your guy, isn't it?" Brent gestured past Edward's shoulder and he jumped when he realized that Jasper had followed him over to the front of the shop and was grinning like a fool behind him.

"What we getting done, honey?" He mocked.

"A frenum piercing," Brent said. Jasper's eyes widened.

"_This_ was your idea?"

Edward cringed. "Yup?"

"Ho shit."

The man-boy started chuckling. "It doesn't hurt that bad, I promise. Piercing your nose would be more intense than this."

"Wait, wait, wait. Explain this to me slowly, Iike I'm five."

Brent tilted his head to the side and nodded before giving Jasper the same spiel he'd told Edward earlier in the day. By the end of it, Jasper's face was white as a sheet and he was looking at Edward with questioning eyes.

"You seriously wanna do that to your dick?"

Edward shrugged. "I like the idea of it. I just got kinda excited about it, yah know? I wanna see what it'll feel like."

There was obvious hesitation in Edward's voice but the potential excitement overpowered such cautions and Jasper found himself smiling at the man with the crazy bed-head in front of him.

"You're welcome to be in the room with him and decide later?" Brent suggested.

"That sounds good," Jasper said, and the kid nodded, jumping off his stool and waving for the men to follow him after he grabbed what he needed beneath the glass case.

"Double teaming again, Brent?" Dean shouted from the back of the shop as the two men walked with him into the piercing room.

"You know it!"

Dean's laughter followed Jasper and Edward as Brent shut the door and gave them a happy grin before gesturing to the reclined seat where Edward was to sit.

"You nervous?" Brent asked, still smiling. Edward shook his head, hair flying every which way as he did. "Ha! Faker. It's okay, I'm good at my job. Promise."

Hands were scrubbed, gloves were snapped on, new tools were pulled out of sterilized packaging, and the skin around the head of Edward's terrified, twitching cock was swabbed clean with an impressive amount of precision and speed. The kid had done this before.

The silver barbell of doom—newly unwrapped from its own plastic confinement—was palmed in Brent's capable, black-gloved hands before he unscrewed the end and threaded it, readying it for the kill.

"Take a few deep breaths for me," he instructed and Edward obeyed, looking at the ceiling the entire time. Jasper was torn between wanting to hold his hand like a pussy and standing back to be the calming presence in the room. After a few agonizing seconds, while Edward took in the required gulps of air, Jasper stepped forward and grabbed hold of his hand, pussification be damned.

The clamp was placed and Edward hissed at the pinch before taking another deep inhale. On the exhale, Brent pierced the skin. A moment of sustained silence echoed through the room while the man-child did his magic and Edward cringed. Jasper blinked and before he knew it, the silver barbell was nestled beneath the head of Edward's cock, gleaming against the angry red of the disturbed skin.

"Nice," Brent said, complimenting his own work or Edward's schlong, Jasper wasn't sure but he cleared his throat just the same, feeling possessive. Brent smirked at him. He swabbed the area clean once more and threw out all used materials into a red bin at his feet. He'd never once stood up from the swivel office chair he'd been gliding around the room in. Jasper was amazed.

"That's it?" Edward said, dazed.

"That's it. You feeling good?"

Edward awkwardly tried to get a good look at the underside of his cock from where he was without touching it, too scared to harm it any further.

"Surprisingly? Yeah, I'm okay."

The man-boy grinned wide, white teeth gleaming. "Told ya. I'm good at my job."

Edward smiled back, shaking the kid's hand. "Thanks, Brent. Now...umm..." He gestured to his still exposed cock and Brent went into a very extensive explanation about aftercare and healing times, writing it all down in an organized list as he went. Edward had heard most of what Brent was saying earlier in the day, but was happy for the refresher, the last thing he wanted to do was mess up taking care of his Cobra Commander.

Yes, he'd named his penis. Don't all men?

Jasper, upon hearing the _four to six weeks_ line for healing, balked. "What?"

"You'll want the skin around the piercing to be completely healed before attempting intercourse. It could tear otherwise."

"Well, that explains the couch session," Jasper mumbled nudging Edward's chair with his toe.

Edward shrugged, looking guilty. Brent just quirked his eyebrow at both of them.

After a good minute of thinking it through, Jasper scratched the back of his neck and gave the man-child wielding the needle a determined look. "If Edward's suffering, I'm suffering. Let's do this."

Edward had just finished gingerly buttoning up his jeans as Jasper jumped onto the squishy black chair and leaned back. He unzipped and pulled out before Brent could even say "okay then" and the poor guy was blindsided by the sight of Jasper's cock.

It was a very impressive cock.

Attempting to maintain professionalism, Brent closed his eyes and whispered to himself, "Thank you, Santa," before going to work on washing his hands, snapping on new gloves, and pulling out new instruments and a barbell for Jasper.

"Jasper, you don't have to do this." Edward had never expected him to actually go through with it. It's why he'd offered to go first.

"Sure I do. I want to. I've been through almost seven years of shit with Peter when it came to dealing with Bella, which is now going to end, and I want to start over. What better way than punching a hole through my dick?"

Jasper's smirk was wide, a dimple showing on his right cheek as he raised his eyebrows to emphasize his point. Edward laughed and shook his head.

"We're fucking insane, you know that right?"

"Hell yes."

"Ready, Dimples?" Brent asked, cutting through Edward and Jasper's moment. Jasper grinned at the kid, liking his humor and nodded. He held out his hand in invitation for Edward to hold, and when he did, a warmth came over him that he hadn't felt in years. He was suddenly young again, eighteen and doing crazy shit for the sake of a good laugh. He liked the sense of euphoria that came over him at the realization and he grinned at Edward the whole time Brent worked, only flinching momentarily at the slight pinch from the clamp and the sting of the needle.

Yup. He was starting over. Holding tight to the man he liked more than he was willing to admit and diving headfirst into the uncharted territory of a new, legitimate relationship with the help of a barbell being shoved into his cock. Not exactly a conventional way to go about things, but Jasper wasn't going to knock it until he'd tried it.

And as he looked up at Edward, who was watching over him with sweet worry lines creasing his face, he knew he'd picked the right guy to start fresh with. If they could survive the next six weeks without killing each other—or dying from a severe case of blue balls—he'd get down on his knees and propose. Right after he'd sucked Edward dry because, Christ, they were going to be frustrated.

* * *

**Zigs A/N:** Those who get pierced together, stay together...or however that old adage goes.

Brent was created to make TuesdayMidnight smile. I hope it worked. We decided together that his last name would be Starr. ;-)

**Yoga & PP A/N:** And we love Zigs a little bit more for making Brent pierce these boys. We also love her for her fabulous slashy one shots like _A Night In Vienna_, _It's Just a Flesh Wound_, and _Little Margot: Matchmaker_. You can find a link to her profile on ours...so go check them out!

Swing back next week to see what sort of shenanigans **SubtlePen** comes up with!


	7. SubtlePen

_I do not own the Twilight series, or any of the characters created by Stephenie Meyer. I do not make any money from the writing of this story._

* * *

Jasper crawled up onto the bed, looking like a stalking cat, kissing and licking his way up Edward's legs.

"Do you think it's safe?"

Jasper smiled. "I think if we're careful…"

"Oh, god, Jasper… are you sure?"

Jasper peered up at him from between Edward's bare legs, a sly grin parting his juicy lips. "Shh, baby. I've missed you like this. Two weeks is too long." He craved the feeling of Edward's body accepting him, of connecting with him like that, but knew it was way too soon after their recent adventure in piercing.

Propped on his elbows, Edward admired Jasper's body, from his beautiful feet up his toned legs, to the ripe peach of his ass and the dimples above, to the elegant curves of his waist and back, up to his shoulders and arms atop Edward's parted thighs, holding him in place. Jasper nuzzled against the crook of his hip, breathing deep and placing small nibbling kisses there.

"God, you smell so good…"

Edward groaned long and low when Jasper slowly sucked his balls, flicking his tongue ring over the delicate skin. One of Jasper's hands lightly held the base of Edward's cock, not really stroking him, but just gently massaging, sliding the smooth skin no more than a few centimeters up and down his length. He tried to stay away from the still-healing frenum piercing, but make Edward feel good.

"Oh fuck, Jasp… ohh, yeah."

A jolt of white hot pain zinged through Jasper's groin and he grunted, lifting his hips up off the bed. He'd been thrusting against the mattress without realizing it, putting too much strain on the steel barbell under the head of his cock.

"Shit, are you okay?"

Jasper rolled slightly onto his side and bent one knee, shifting position just enough to ease the pressure on his dick, but keeping him exactly where he wanted to be for Edward.

"Hush. I'm fine"

With his other hand, Jasper began massaging circles into the tender area behind E's balls, slowly moving backward with his fingertips. Between the agonizingly soft stroking of his cock and Jasper's talented mouth, Edward was rapidly losing control. He began thrusting his hips in time with Jasper's hand, desperately trying for more friction, more pressure, longer strokes, but in the back of his mind he heard Brent's words:

"Keep it scrupulously clean. No oral for at least three weeks. No rough handling and no penetration for six, maybe eight if it still hurts. Even once it's healed it's gonna take a while to toughen up."

As much as he wanted Jasper to suck him off, he knew it was a bad idea. Before he had a chance to be sad about it, though, Jasper's lips and tongue danced farther and farther south.

Gasping, arched his hips up against Jasper's face.

"You like that?" Jasper mumbled, noisily sucking and biting and licking, hot breath teasing sensitive skin.

"Mmm, so fucking much."

"Good. Relax. Let me take care of you, baby."

Before long, one, then two, of Jasper's long, slender fingers joined the party, angling just perfectly, tapping and rubbing that magic place inside Edward's body. His head thrashed against the bed as he clutched at fists-full of bed covers, his cock throbbing under the gentle attention of Jasper's lazy strokes. His entire body hummed and tensed, desperate for release.

"Please, ohh Jasper, please… need to come. Please don't stop. God, yes - right there - ohhh."

Edward's body shivered from shoulders to knees as he came, twitching, laughing and moaning. Jasper continued to stroke, suck and knead, until Edward had to push him away. Jasper rolled onto his back, a self-satisfied grin on his face, blue eyes sparkling in the low light. He gingerly took himself in hand, carefully stroking up and down as he watched Edward recover.

'Hey, I think you should let me help you with that." Edward moved to sit up, but Jasper pushed him back.

"No, just watch. It won't take much – You are so fucking hot when you come, I'm already nearly there."

Edward laid back and slowly ran his fingers through Jasper's hair as he quickly brought himself off, watching ribbons of white land on his firm abs and pecs.

They lay there silently for long minutes, relishing the intimacy of the moment, both of them sated and happy. Edward replayed it all over and over, every touch and kiss, feeling a deep, warm ache in his chest at the thought of Jasper's affectionate attentions. He'd never felt like this with Garrett.

After a quick but careful cleanup, they curled into each other and fell blissfully asleep.

~*~

Lucille's was fairly quiet, for a Saturday afternoon. The morning rush had come and gone, leaving Jasper, Edward and Alice to enjoy a coffee together in relative quiet.

The door chimed loudly behind Edward and the laugh that carried through the small shop left him rigid and cold.

Garrett.

The feminine voice underneath his laughter had to be none other than Kate. Before he could stop himself, he shot a look over his shoulder at them, and unfortunately caught Garrett's eye.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my old friend Edward." Garrett strolled over to their table, with Kate tucked possessively under his arm.

Jasper noticed the instantaneous change in Edward's demeanor, from relaxed and enjoying his and Alice's company, to an almost humiliated looking tension.

"Garrett," Edward acknowledged, turning back to his table.

"I haven't seen you in weeks and weeks, buddy. How ya been?" He patted Edward roughly on the shoulder in a stereotypical 'guy' gesture.

Edward looked back over his shoulder at Garrett, but was reluctant to play straight just for Kate's benefit. Fueled by just enough resentment, he managed to muster the courage to say exactly what he was thinking. "Yeah, I guess since you dumped me for her, I haven't really felt like hanging out."

Shocked, Garrett stepped back, forcing a harsh laugh and quickly pulling Kate back toward the door. "Oh, ha ha ha! You're a funny one, Edward. Good one! Yeah, well, take it easy, man – great to see ya!"

Edward closed his eyes and counted to ten, trying to calm himself down. Garrett wasn't worth the effort of getting upset in front of Alice and Jasper.

"Prick," was Alice's succinct appraisal.

"No shit. Who was that asshat?" Jasper asked. "That wasn't really your ex, was it?"

Edward nodded slowly as he looked up. "Yep."

"Wow. What did you ever… never mind."

Alice stood up and gathered her things. "I'm going to let you boys chat a while. I promised to help Rose with some… stuff. So… yeah." She leaned down and kissed each of the boys on the cheek, and trailed a lingering hand on Edward's shoulder as she walked away.

"Sorry," Jasper muttered. "I don't have any place judging your exes." He thought of Peter and the cameras, among other things.

"No, don't worry about it. I haven't always had the best taste in men." He looked up quickly, just as a twinge of hurt crossed Jasper's face. "Before you, that is."

Jasper reached over and took Edward's hand in his, with a smile of thanks. "What happened? Did he really dump you for her?"

Edward took a long, deep breath before speaking. "We'd only been together about six months. On New Years, he met her in the bar where we were partying, and left with her. He dragged me off to the men's room and said he'd had fun with me, but didn't really see it turning into anything long-term. Next thing I knew, he was walking out the door with Kate all over him like a cheap suit."

Jasper ran his fingers through his hair and clenched his jaw. He wanted to go chase the guy down and pummel him, but knew it wouldn't do any good. Looking up, he saw Edward staring at their joined hands. Jasper lifted them to his lips and kissed Edward's knuckles, earning himself a soft grin.

"So, did you know he was bi?"

"See, that's the thing. I don't think he is."

"What do you mean?"

"He liked to flirt with women when we were out, joke about making them think he was straight, sometimes trying to get me to do the same. There was never any PDA, no hand holding or kissing in public. Everything sexual or affectionate we ever did was always behind closed doors, and always according to his needs. Looking back, I think I was an experiment for him. Or maybe he's really bi and just a complete asshole. Either way, he left me for a girl."

"I'm sorry, babe."

"It's okay." Edward leaned in for a small kiss. "If it hadn't happened, I never would have been open to seeing you."

Jasper kissed him again. "I like that thought, but I hate that you were with someone like him."

"It wasn't all bad. He had a few redeeming qualities that made it worthwhile in the beginning. Before him, I dated this guy, Caius, who was uptight, controlling, petty… but he had a great sense of humor, and was generous to a fault with the people he loved. Before that was James. He had a fearless sense of adventure, but a mean streak when he was drunk. Everybody has something, Jasper. It's just a matter of figuring out what your tipping point is, what you can live with and what you can't."

Jasper's voice was hollow. "Isn't that the truth."

Edward waited a moment, hoping Jasper would continue. "Peter?"

"Yeah."

Edward nodded. "Will you tell me about it, some time?"

Jasper leaned in and kissed him, soft and sweet at first, but with a hint of promise. "Let's go home."

He cupped his cheek and smiled, loving that they both thought of Jasper's place as 'home.' "Okay."

The rumble of thunder ended their quiet moment, and they ran to beat the cold March rain.

~*~

Dinner was a quiet affair. They worked easily together preparing pasta and a crisp salad. Sipping wine, talking about nothing of consequence, they both knew that the time was rapidly approaching for Jasper to share his and Peter's story. Just as they started dessert, Jasper's phone rang.

"Daddy? Hi Daddy!"

"Pumpkin!"

"I'm having a sleeps-over with Emmy and Rose tonight. Papa had to go to work a cause of the storm."

"Well, that sounds like fun. Are you being a good girl?"

"I am, Daddy. We're watching Cinderella and Emmy said I could have ice cream in a little while."

"Okay, sweet girl. Can I talk to Emmett or Rosalie, please?"

"Okay Daddy. I love you! Is Edward there?"

"Yes, he is."

"Give him a hug for me, okay? Here's Emmy. Bye Daddy!"

"Bye, pumpkin. Sweet dreams."

Jasper heard shuffling as his daughter handed off the phone, then Emmett's goofy laugh.

"Hey, man. How's it goin'?"

"Fine, Em. What's up?"

"I don't know. Pete called at the last minute and asked, said he figured you were out on a date. It's no big. You know we love having her."

"Okay, well, I'll come pick her up in the morning if Pete doesn't, okay? Maybe we can all go to breakfast together? My treat."

"Sounds great. We'll call you in the morning."

"Alright, Em."

"Later."

Jasper ended the call and turned off his ringer, knowing Bella was in good hands.

They curled up on the couch side by side later that night, listening to the rain. Edward could tell Jasper was trying to figure out where to start. He poured them each a final glass of wine, wrapped his arms around his lover, and waited.

"My dad died when I was young. First Gulf war. It was just me and Momma. It wasn't anything intentional on her part, but I guess somewhere deep down Daddy had ingrained in me to be the man of the house when he wasn't around. I grew up fast, you could say. The military was good to us, but it was still hard, you know?"

Edward could only imagine.

"I always knew what I wanted, and who I was. I knew I was gay at least since middle school, maybe earlier, but I was always busy with paper routes and odd jobs to help out, so I never messed around more than a little here and there in high school. She never had to deal with a parade of boyfriends, so I guess it was easier for her to remember I was still the same boy, and Momma never treated me any differently after I came out. That's all that ever mattered."

Jasper took a deep breath and finished his wine before continuing.

"Peter - I put myself through undergrad, and I met Peter on campus. He was pretty much my first everything. He'd been around the block before me. I mean, that's obvious. We have Bella. But none of his relationships before me were very serious. As time went on, after graduate school when I started my career, he got sort of jealous. He'd always worked hard, good-paying blue collar jobs, but I think he was threatened by the people I worked with, the well-educated, professional men I was making friends with. Eventually, he started to accuse me of things, of flirting with other guys wherever we went, and eventually of cheating on him."

He turned to look Edward dead in the eyes. "I never did, baby. Never."

Edward kissed him softly. "That's not who you are."

Jasper squeezed Edward's hand.

"I stayed longer than I should have, for Bella's sake. I'm not sure when I stopped loving him, but I got to the point where I dreaded the sound of his car in the driveway at the end of the work day, and I knew that was no way to live. It tore me in two to walk away from my daughter, after all the years we shared, but I had to do it. I have too much self-respect to live like that forever."

Edward took a sip of his wine. "He never let go."

"No, I guess not. I guess that's why he used the cameras, although I have no idea how he thought it would win me back."

A brief jolt of fear made Edward wonder. They shared eight years of history, a child… "Could he?"

"Could he what?"

"Win you back."

Jasper took Edward's wine glass and set it aside. He pulled Edward to straddle him, cradling his face in his hands, kissing him over and over. "No, Edward. I'm off the market."

A sudden knock on Jasper's front door startled them both. "Just a minute," Jasper shouted, trying to regain his composure before standing to answer the door.

Two uniformed officers stood on his porch.

"Are you Jasper Whitlock?"

Jasper nodded, leaning heavily on the doorframe as Edward stood behind him, one hand on Jasper's shoulder.

"Do you know a Peter Swan?"

"I do. He's my ex-boyfriend."

"We've been trying to get in contact with you for several hours, sir. We understand you are his primary emergency contact?"

Jasper nodded. "We've been broken up for quite a while, but we have a daughter together, so yes, that doesn't surprise me. What – what's going on? Has he done something – oh god." Edward's arms tightened around him as he sagged, realizing what was happening.

One officer cleared his throat. "Sir, I'm afraid there's been a serious accident…"

* * *

Woo hoo! Evil cliffie – I know! All you Peter fans, don't kill me! Half the fun of this ride is seeing what the next Slashtastic writer will do with our boys - Let's see what the amazing **Domward's Mistress** comes up with after that evil cliffie, shall we?

Thank you to YogaGal and PerfectlyPersuasive to dreaming up this little challenge, and for including me! It's been a blast!


	8. Domward's Mistress

_Authors note:_ For the record, I think it was extremely unfair for the glorious SubtlePen to leave me on such a cliffhanger. She'll definitely be getting a spanking.

* * *

One officer cleared his throat. "Sir, I'm afraid there's been a serious accident…"

Edward found himself instinctively pulling Jasper even closer, knowing that whatever news the officers were about to share would not be good. His own stomach was in knots as he felt Jasper's breathing turn shallow and quick. The officers were both dressed in dark suits, their shiny gold badges hanging on the pockets of their jackets.

"What kind of accident? Is Peter okay?" Jasper asked, his body tight with sudden tension and anticipation.

_No_, Edward thought to himself, _he's not okay. _Edward knew police did not show up on your doorstep to deliver anything but bad news.

"I'm Detective Reardon and this is Detective Fowler with the Seattle PD. We regret to inform you, sir, but Mr. Swan was killed in a motor vehicle accident earlier this afternoon."

Edward listened in horror as the police described what details they knew of the accident, letting his arm wind even tighter around Jasper's back in hopes of keeping his boyfriend upright while Jasper absorbed the grave news. When Jasper exhaled a heavy breath, Edward watched him carefully, looking for any signs that he might be physically ill.

"I don't understand," Jasper mumbled, staring at the floor.

"Mr. Whitlock, I know this is a lot to take in, but we'll need you to come down to the morgue and identify the body at your earliest convenience."

Once again, Edward found himself pulling Jasper impossibly closer, trying to support his lover's limp form as he tried to understand exactly what was happening. Hard as Edward tried, he couldn't seem to focus on anything other than keeping Jasper on his feet, concerned only with his well being.

Jasper finally tore his eyes from the floor and looked back to the officers. "Okay. I-I have to talk to my daughter. I don't… I mean, I'm not sure…"

"Give us a few minutes," Edward told the detectives, not bothering to wait for an answer before he turned around and guided Jasper back to the couch. Edward could tell that Jasper was in shock, the blank stare on his face was painfully obvious, as well as the way he didn't move a muscle when Edward situated him on the sofa. Edward was cautious with him, afraid that at any moment, Jasper would breakdown.

"Baby, I'm going to go talk to them for a minute, okay? I'll be right back." Edward spoke in a soft, careful voice.

He spoke to the officers quietly and quickly, getting the information and the directions that Jasper would need. After assuring the detectives that he would not leave Jasper alone, he thanked them and showed them out. Edward returned to the living room, trying to ignore the bundle of nerves that were settling into the pit of his stomach. He found Jasper still in the same position, but the blank stare had been replaced with one of worry and pain.

Crouching down in front of him, Edward placed his hands on Jasper's thighs and began rubbing gently and soothingly, just barely holding back the apologies that were trying to burst through his lips. He wanted to give Jasper time to accept the news and work things out in his head before bombarding him with words that would be insignificant given the situation. After a few minutes, Edward felt his heart clench in his chest when a single tear rolled down Jasper's pale cheek.

"What am I going to tell Bella? How am I supposed to tell my little girl that one of her Papa is gone?" he asked, searching Edward's eyes like they held all the answers.

Edward, however, had no answers. This was uncharted territory for him, especially since there was a sweet little girl involved. He honestly had no words, no ideas on how to help or comfort Jasper, even though that was all he wanted to do right then. Silently, Edward took a seat next to Jasper on the couch and gathered him in his arms, rubbing his boyfriend's back gently while kissing his hair.

Though Jasper's tears never increased, he seemed to get more worked up with each second that passed until, eventually, his entire body was stiff and rigid. When he shifted away, Edward felt a lump rise in his throat, fearful of Jasper's reactions now that the shock had worn off.

With stormy eyes and a scratchy voice, Jasper murmured, "I have- I have to go down there. I need to get this over with."

"Want me to come with you?" Edward asked, lacing his fingers through Jasper's.

"No. Well, yes, I do but no. I have to tell Bella and I think I should do it alone. I'm not even sure what I'm going to say to her."

"I understand," Edward answered quickly when he saw Jasper choke back a dry sob. "If you need me, baby, call me. It doesn't matter what time it is, okay? For anything."

"I will," Jasper whispered, leaning forward to place a soft kiss on Edward's lips. They both stood and walked to the door, still holding each other's hand.

"Here is where you need to go," Edward handed Jasper the card that the detectives had written the directions on. "I'm so sorry, baby." Edward finally said the words he had been holding back, squeezing Jasper's hand.

Jasper simply kissed him, a little harder than before and hugged him tightly before they said their goodbyes.

As Edward drove home, his thoughts swirled with what Jasper was going through, and his heart broke a little when he realized that Jasper would soon be telling his daughter that she would never see her Papa again. He wanted to be there for Jasper, but he understood why Jasper wanted to tell Bella alone. It was something that needed to be done with just the two of them, not with a third party watching from the sidelines with absolutely no way to help ease either of their pain.

Tons of questions also raced through his mind. Would Jasper have to plan the funeral? Did Peter have any family or would Jasper have to do all of it alone? What would happen to Bella? Would Jasper get custody since Bella's mother wasn't in the picture? Edward only knew the basics of custody law, but if Bella's mother was alive and found to be a fit parent, she would surely gain custody of her daughter. If Jasper lost Bella it would kill him…

By the time Edward walked through his front door, his head hurt and he was mentally exhausted, not to mention the ache in his chest that only increased every time a new question popped into his head.

All he could do was curl up on his couch, close his eyes, and hope that Jasper would be okay.

The banging on his door startled Edward from his restlessness and he shot up, trying to ignore the way his head spun with the quick movement. He all but jumped up from his makeshift bed on the couch, stumbling and hitting his knee on the side table as he rushed for the door. Though it was only a very short distance, his brain managed to come up with numerous scenarios that could play out once he let Jasper inside, ranging from listening to Jasper rant about the unfairness of it all to drying his tears.

Needless to say, he was disappointed, and slightly confused, to find a smiling, ridiculously cheery Alice, equipped with two cups of coffee standing on the other side of his front door. However, her smile began to falter once she had a good look at Edward's ragged form.

"Oh, honey, what happened?"

Instead of answering, he simply turned around and went back to the couch, knowing that she would follow. She set the coffee on the table and wrapped her arms around Edward, giving him a tight hug before pulling back, her eyes full of sympathy.

"Did you two have a fight?"

Edward shook his head sadly and sighed, wishing it could have something as trivial as that. Breaking their embrace, he leaned forward and grabbed the coffee, thankful for the bitter warmth that soothed his throat.

"Peter, Jasper's ex, was in a bad car accident yesterday," he explained.

She gasped, her eyes widening as she covered her mouth with a tiny hand. After a moment, she asked hesitantly, "Is he okay?"

Edward simply shook his head again, watching as her eyes filled with recognition, quickly followed by sadness.

"Oh my God," she whispered. "Is Jasper okay? I mean, obviously he's not but…"

"He was pretty shaken up. Peter still had him listed as his emergency contact so he had to go identify the body, then he was going to tell Bella. That seemed to be his biggest concern."

"I just can't believe this," she said, sipping her coffee. "That poor little girl. She's going to be so confused."

Edward nodded. "I know. I can't even imagine what Jasper is going through right now."

"When was the last time you talked to him?"

"Last night when he left to go to the morgue. I was hoping he would have called me by now but I know overwhelmed he must be. Do you know if Peter had any family?"

Alice sighed heavily and Edward felt the dread creep into his stomach. "Not that I know of. I'm pretty sure that's why he kept Jasper as his emergency contact. He and Bella were his only family."

Edward then realized why Peter had been so possessive of Jasper, even after they had separated. If Jasper was all Peter had, Edward could see why he would be so reluctant to let him go. Not that it excused anything that Peter had done, during their relationship or after, but it made it slightly easier to understand.

"That means that Jasper will be handling this all on his own," Edward voiced his thoughts aloud.

"That's not true. He has you."

"_If_ he'll let me help him. I know that I can't do much but I'd like to be there for him," Edward murmured, feeling unnecessarily guilty that all he could provide was a shoulder to lean on.

"Just give him some time, sweetie," Alice said, resting her head on Edward's shoulder.

Edward knew she was right. Jasper would need time to work through this and help Bella cope. Edward only hoped that Jasper wouldn't shut him out completely.

Jasper stepped into the oddly brightly lit room. Somewhere in the back of his head, he imagined morgues to be like what he saw on television, dark and cold. Unconsciously, he shivered as his eyes darted around the sparse room, scanning he tables and metal gurneys. The medical examiner stood across from him on the other side of a slab that he had pulled out from one of the many large drawers on the wall. Between them lay a body covered by a thick, white sheet. The doctor waited for Jasper's nod to show that he was ready.

Taking a deep breath, Jasper nodded slightly and the doctor reached for the top of the sheet, pulling it back only enough to expose the face of Jasper's old lover. Bruises and bloodless cuts marred what had been a strong, handsome face. Peter lack all color of life, his skin was a bluish tone and his eyes were closed, but there was no doubt it was him. Jasper's stomach lurched, for the entire ride there he had hoped there had been some kind of awful mistake.

But there hadn't.

"That's Peter," he barely whispered. The examiner nodded and pulled the sheet back up, covering Peter's face again.

"My condolences," the doctor said as he pushed the slab back into the wall and closed the door with a resounding slam that echoed through the room.

With the sound, Jasper gasped for breath, his heart racing in his chest at an incredible speed that he felt lightheaded. Turning, he walked out of the room, leaning against the wall outside the room to calm himself before he slowly made his way to his car.

Things had gone bad between him and Peter a long time before they had broken up, but Peter, in all his faults, had a place in Jasper's heart, and it ached for his ex lover. Jasper drove to Emmett's, not even remembering any of it until he pulled into the driveway of the two-story home. In his twenty eight years, Jasper had never had to do anything that was as difficult was what he was facing right then. Gathering what little courage he had, he got out of the car and went to the door.

Rosalie answered, her hair in a messy knot, a bright smile on her face until she saw the pain on Jasper's.

"Jasper?" she breathed, ushering him inside by pulling on his hand. "What's wrong?"

"I…I need to talk to Bella," Jasper stuttered, standing just inside the door.

"Is everything okay?" Rosalie was nervous and her voice shook.

"It's Peter," Jasper began, "he was in an accident, he's…. he's…" Jasper couldn't even bring himself to say the words.

"Oh my God," Rose gasped. "I'll go get Bella, she's playing with Emmett it the kitchen.

Jasper stumbled to the couch, sitting on it and putting his face in his hands while he waited. He still had no idea what he was going to tell his daughter. A minute later, Bella bounded in, holding Bree in her hands as she leapt into Jasper's outstretched arms.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed.

"Hey, sugar," Jasper whispered into her hair as he hugged his girl tightly.

"Daddy, what's wrong?" Bella asked, and Jasper almost smiled. She was also so perceptive. Exhaling, Jasper hoped somehow he would have the strength to make it through the hardest conversation of his life.

"Sugar, daddy has some bad news about Papa…."

It was two more days before Edward heard from his lover. He had been sitting at home, admittedly sulking after the longest day of work in his career. His mind had wandered all day, anxious about the lack of contact from Jasper.

Beer in hand, he flicked through channels on the television as he relaxed on his couch, not really paying attention to the shows but needing something to do to keep himself from going insane. He had fought the urge numerous times over the past few days to pick up the phone and call his boyfriend, each time he would get as far as punching in the first two numbers of Jasper's phone number before he'd quickly hit the end button, Alice's words ringing through his ears about giving Jasper time.

So when his cell phone rang with Jasper's designated ring tone, his stomach dropped. Quickly, he grabbed the phone off the table and answered it, ignoring the shaking of his hands.

"Hello?" he said, slightly breathless.

"Hey, sweetheart," Jasper murmured, exhaustion clear in his voice.

"Hey. How are you? I've been so worried about you." Edward rambled, his words coming out in a rush.

"I'm…dealing. Things have been pretty hectic for us, as you can imagine." Jasper sounded weary, and Edward wanted nothing more than to hold and comfort him.

"How's Bella?" Edward asked. He knew the answer wouldn't be a positive one but he had to ask nonetheless.

"She's confused mostly. She doesn't fully understand, and I don't think it's really hit her yet. I'm…I'm scared for when it does."

Edward's heart broke. "It'll be okay, baby. She has you." The words were ridiculously insignificant but they were all Edward had.

Jasper sighed heavily and was silent for a few moments. When he spoke again, his voice was rough. "The funeral is tomorrow. I'm not sure how Bella is going to handle it."

"All you can do is be there for her, Jasper, help her through this. Would you like me to come?"

It was a little awkward, considering that the only times Edward had met Peter, they had been hostile, but Edward wanted to be there for Jasper, if he needed him.

Jasper hesitated. "I don't think that would be a good idea. I appreciate it, but…it's going to be confusing enough for my little girl and I'm afraid your presence would only make that worse. I'm sorry, sweetheart, please understand…"

Edward ignored the pang of hurt in his chest and cut Jasper off. "I do, baby. I completely understand. But please, call me if you need me."

"Edward…I think, maybe…I think we'll need some space for awhile. At least until Bella copes. I need to give my full attention to her right now."

Edward gulped and tried to keep his voice steady. "I understand. I'll be here…whenever you need me," Edward promised, and he meant it wholeheartedly. However, the selfish part of him silently hoped that it wouldn't be too long.

The next day passed, and the day after, and Edward hadn't heard from Jasper again, with the exception of a text message that read:

_Miss you. Maybe we can see each other this weekend. J_

Edward had quickly replied with an enthusiastic yes, though he tried not to get his hopes up. Once again, his emotions were everywhere. While completely understood why Jasper was putting Bella first, and agreed that being around could be more confusing for her which was definitely something she didn't need right then, all he wanted was to see his lover, to hold him and kiss him, make love to him, just _be_ there for him.

Edward realized, then, that his feelings for Jasper were more than that of a casual relationship. He couldn't call it love, not yet, but it was definitely heading that way. Cursing silently, he wondered if he could have had worse timing in this realization.

He spent that night just the same as he had the four previous nights; home alone, channel surfing, beer in hand. Sulking and worrying. Every few minutes, he fiddled with his cell phone, willing it to ring. When the knock came upon his door, his heart sped for a second before reality crashed down on him and he sighed, knowing that he'd, once again, probably find Alice instead of Jasper on his front step.

Slightly irritated, Edward trudged to his front door and looked through the peephole, gasping when he realized who stood on the other side. Edward felt his stomach heave with nerves and confusion, then was hit with spikes of anger so strong it made his head spin. Determined to hold on to that anger, he snatched the door open and let his face form into what he hoped was a disgusted scowl.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Garrett?"

Edward's voice was filled with rage and he smiled inwardly, proud that he had managed to project the right emotion. However, Edward couldn't help but notice that Garrett's eyes, bloodshot and watery, were filled with sadness. He tried not to let his curiosity get the better of him, forcing himself to ignore the obvious distress that his ex-boyfriend was in.

"Can I come in? Please?" Garrett asked in a small, shaky voice.

Edward sighed, feeling some of his anger dissipate. Garrett was a piece of shit, an asshole to the core, but he was still human, someone that Edward had once cared about and Edward just couldn't bring himself to shut the door in Garrett's face, though he knew deep down it would be nothing more than what his ex deserved.

Still, Edward stepped aside and allowed Garrett to come in, his brow furrowing in confusion when he saw the way Garrett's shoulders were slumped and slightly shaking. The once confident, cocky bastard was nothing more than a bundle of tension and Edward felt his throat constrict with anxiety.

"What do you want?" Edward muttered, avoiding Garrett's eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I wanted to tell…to talk to you. I need to talk to you, Edward."

The anxiety worked its way down Edward's throat and into his stomach, leaving butterflies in its wake as the seriousness in Garrett's voice hit him hard.

"About what?" Edward questioned cautiously.

Garrett sighed and ran a hand through his hair, eyes darting around the room quickly before settling on Edward again. "Can we sit down?"

Growing more wary by the second, Edward shook his head quickly. "Whatever you have to say, spit out so you can be on your way."

Garrett flinched as if Edward's words had stung him like a physical blow, clenching his eyes shut for a moment before covering his face with his hands and releasing a pained groan.

"Fuck, Edward, I don't even know…I have no idea how to say this, so I'm just going to…say it, I guess," Garrett rambled nervously.

Edward drew in a deep breath and held it, silently waiting for Garrett to speak. After what seemed like an eternity, Garrett seemed to gain a bit of resolve and took a steady step toward Edward. Of course, this made Edward immediately take a step back. When Garrett realized that he wasn't going to close any of the distance between them, he sighed heavily.

In a very quiet, but strong voice, Garrett spoke. "I want a second chance, Edward. I want you back."

* * *

_So, there you have it. Thanks for reading._

YogaGal & PerfectlyPersuasive note: Thanks so much for **Domward's Mistress** for sharing in this crazy journey with us! Stay turned for next week when **Touchstone67** has her chance to rile things up :)


	9. Touchstone67

**Disclaimer: S. Myer owns all, but what I wouldn't give for a Jasper of my very own-sigh.**

Thank you to OftheDamned for her beta on this chapter.

I don't think many will be surprised this chapter is a bit angsty…

"**~~**"

* * *

"I want a second chance, Edward. I want you back."

It wasn't what Edward had expected to hear. He thought maybe Garrett might apologize for treating him so poorly, or for blatantly throwing that woman in his face, but never did he expect for Garrett to want him back. Garrett stood before him with bloodshot eyes and pale skin, his entire body screaming defeat to Edward. He might had kicked Edward aside like an old toy, but Edward's heart still clenched at the sight of his former lover's obvious distress. It was that ache that enticed Edward to lower his defense and take a step closer.

That was when he smelled the faint hint of alcohol surrounding Garrett.

"You're drunk," Edward accused sharply.

"No, I mean…I was, but I'm not now," Garrett sighed before moving to the couch and sitting down regardless of what Edward had said. Burying his face in his hands, Garrett began to explain. "Kate and I are over. It just wasn't…right. I never felt like myself with her, not like I did with you." He raised his head, his eyes meeting Edward's shocked ones. "I've tried to deny it to everyone, just pass you off as some experiment in my sexuality, but you were so much more than that. I've realized…"

Unconsciously Edward took another step forward, bringing himself within arm's reach of Garrett. "Garrett," Edward began but didn't finish, clearly lost on what to say.

"Edward, I've realized that I was wrong about us. I treated you like shit because I was scared. You brought out feelings in me that I had denied for years, and since you've been gone, I know those feelings were the real me. I'm tired of pretending I'm not gay," Garrett finished with a voice barely above whisper but Edward heard the words loud and clear. Emotions brimmed on the edges of Garrett's dark brown eyes, but never fell as he stared up at his ex lover. The man he had come to realize was so much more than a fling.

Edward took the last step, closing the small distance between them and weaving his fingers into Garrett's soft, curly hair as Garrett rested his forehead against Edward's abdomen. Strong fingers clutched at Edward's shirt, desperately pulling him even closer. Dry sobs wracked Garrett's body as he let out all the frustration he had felt for years, the pent up emotions and denial of who he was.

"Sshhh," Edward soothed, holding his ex boyfriend close. "It's okay, I'm here."

"I need you," Garrett admitted, his words muffled by Edward's body. He lifted his head, bringing his eyes to Edward's. "I need you so bad…please, Edward."

Instantly words of comfort turned to touches of comfort. The fingers in Garrett's hair moved to his face, cupping his damp cheek, wiping away the remainder of the tears before dropping to his knees and embracing Garrett's trembling body in his arms. Edward pushed away the memories of Garrett laughing at him on the sidewalk outside the club, instead his mind focused on their sweet moments in bed after making love, their bodies sated and entwined, when Garrett would tell stories from his childhood, giving Edward brief glimpses into his life.

Those memories warmed Edward, and he found himself holding Garrett even tighter. Garrett's lips placed a wet kiss on Edward's throat before moving to his ear.

"Hold me," Garrett whispered, "I'm scared."

Nodding, Edward released Garrett and stood up, holding out his hand. Garrett took it and let Edward lead him to the bedroom, where Edward stripped off his shirt and lay down on his side. Garrett toed off his shoes and climbed on the bed, pressing his chest to Edward, who immediately enveloped Garrett in his arms. As they lay there, Edward's thoughts inevitably turned to Jasper, how much he missed him and how lonely he was without him. It had been days since Peter's funeral, but Edward had only heard from Jasper once via text message. Edward hardly expected to be Jasper's first concern, but he had hoped that he could offer his new lover comfort of some kind, support and friendship if nothing else. Edward understood Jasper's need to be alone with Bella, that losing someone so important in their lives was going to take some adjusting, and Edward reminded himself that he had to be patient, give Jasper the time and space he needed to heal.

But what if Jasper didn't return? What if Jasper had decided being with Edward wasn't what he needed, what if the very real possibility of losing Bella pushed Jasper over the edge and away from Edward?

Those thoughts and more tumbled harshly through Edward's mind as he held Garrett, the warm body in his arms that so obviously did want him. Jasper was new to Edward's life, but Garrett was not. Garrett knew where Edward had gotten the scar on his knee, Jasper didn't. Garrett knew that Edward slept with the window open no matter how cold it was out, Jasper had barely spent an entire night with Edward. There was no denying the chemistry between him and Garrett, their bodies melded to each other's effortlessly, pleasures were brought of heights neither of them had ever reached before.

Edward had chemistry with his blond boyfriend too, as much if not more than he did with Garrett, but there was a comfort with Garrett, one that only came with time. Time that he and Jasper hadn't had the chance to have yet.

Within minutes, Garrett was asleep in Edward's arms, his body finally stilling and letting slumber claim him. Edward soon followed, his eyes drifting closed, his last conscious thoughts were of how nice it was to hold someone again.

Edward woke to the feeling of fingers strumming the bare skin of his lower back, sending small bolts of electricity throughout his body. Brief kisses along his neck joined the fingers and instead of pushing them away, Edward found himself leaning his head back and giving them more room. Still not opening his eyes, Edward enjoyed the feeling of someone familiar next to him again, and while part of him might have hoped it was Jasper and not Garrett that was worshipping body, he was lonely enough to accept the difference. Edward had never been one for being alone long, he functioned better with a partner, and while he was strong and self sufficient, his heart and mind were lighter when he had someone to share his life with.

It was just finding that right someone that had caused him so much grief. For all that Edward didn't want to be alone, he had made some bad choices in who he gave his heart to. Though, he had never completely given Garrett his heart, he had given him his body, and Garrett knew how to work it.

Garrett moaned against the tender skin of Edward's neck when he felt Edward's growing erection urgently pressing into his own. The fingers on his back worked their way up, skimming over the smooth skin until they reached Edward's mussed hair. Lifting his head from Edward's neck, Garrett looked at him, silently asking for permission to continue.

Permission, which against his better judgment, Edward granted.

Encouraged, Garrett pulled back and tugged off his shirt, tossing it aside before his hands went to the button of Edward's jeans, quickly popping it and lowering the zipper. As soon as the jeans were undone, Garrett slipped a hand inside, cupping Edward's cock loosely through his briefs. Thrusting into the touch, Edward moved his hands from Garrett's back to the waistband of his pants, quickly undoing them and yanking the cotton briefs down over his rigid shaft.

"Jesus," Garrett moaned, "feels so fucking good."

Gasps were shared just before their lips met in a long, deep kiss. Tongues entwined and tasted and explored familiar mouths in an effort to get impossibly closer. Edward didn't think about Jasper, or what it might do to him if he knew, he thought only of the strong, rough hands pulling down his pants. When Edward's pants rested just under the curve of his ass, Garrett's hand returned to Edward's cock, eager to feel the satin flesh.

Suddenly, Garrett broke the kiss, his eyes dropping to the cock in his hands.

"When did you do this?" he asked, shocked as his thumb nudged the silver barbell. Edward flinched, a flash of blond waves and wide smile corrupting his lust.

"Few weeks ago," Edward replied quickly, eager to get back to the kissing and touching and less talking.

"Why?"

"I wanted to do something different. I wanted to see what it would feel like," Edward said, not entirely telling the truth, but not a complete lie either.

"Did it hurt?" Garrett asked, genuinely curious.

"Not as much as I expected. Sweetheart, please, just touch me," Edward begged, needing the distraction of his lover's touch to wash away the twinges of guilt beginning to plague him.

Garrett obeyed, returning his lips to Edward's, plunging his tongue between Edward's willingly parted lips. The tips of Garrett's fingers danced along Edward's cock, never gripping him the way he desired most, but providing enough to chase away any thoughts of another. Hands roamed, pushing and gathering material until what was left of their clothes was strewn on the edge of the bed and the floor, and they lay naked in each other's arms.

A shiver traveled through Garrett's body when Edward's touch grazed Garrett's erection, fluid already beading at the slit of its reddened head. Swiping it away, Edward brought his damp thumb up to Garrett, who willingly took it into his mouth, sucking until Edward moaned and replaced it with his lips. With the ease of old lovers, they moved against each other, their hands never leaving the other, mouths fused to necks or nipples or lips. Gently, Garrett rolled Edward onto his back, lying half on top of him, he kissed down the flat planes of Edward's chest and abdomen, gradually working his way south in nibbling bites until he was running the tip of his tongue along the 'v' of Edward's hip. His lover moaned, pressing his head back into the mattress as Garrett ran a hand up the inside of Edward's thigh, stopping at the base of his pierced cock. One of Edward's hands fisted the blanket beneath him while the other carded through Garrett's hair, much longer than it used to be. Edward smiled at that, all the times he had told Garrett he wanted him to grow his hair out so that Edward had something to hold in the heat of passion. It had all been said jokingly, but the longer curls were serving the purpose Edward always knew they would as Garrett ran the flat of his tongue up the underside of Edward's erection.

In his mind, Edward quickly counted the dates, wondering if the time restrictions on oral sex had expired, and when he realized that the recommended three week mark had passed a few days before, he grasped Garrett's hair tighter.

"More," he murmured, the one word full of urgency. Seconds later, his cock was engulfed by the wet heat of Garrett's skilled mouth. A velvet tongue swirled and traced the ridges and veins of Edward's cock before he felt the lush lips sliding down his length, wrapping around him tightly and pulling him into the depths of Garrett's throat.

No matter how many times Garrett might have lied to himself about his sexuality, he was talented at giving head, knowing exactly what would bring his lover to the brink of an orgasm quickly, and he did just that. Swallowing around Edward's cock, Garrett watched his man writhe before him, thrashing his head side to side as he endlessly pleaded for more. Not wanting to disappoint, Garrett gave his lover even more, sucking hard while moving one hand to the soft skin behind Edward's balls, where he teasingly traced the taut, puckered skin. Instinctively, Edward spread his legs further. Labored breaths escaped Edward as the cool air of the room from the open window washed over his heated skin.

"Feel good?" Garrett asked, releasing Edward's cock.

"So fucking good," Edward agreed. He felt the bed shift and realized Garrett was moving back up his body. Soon his lips were back on Edward's, sharing the faint flavor of his lover.

Rutting his own erection into Edward's side, Garrett's hand never stopped stroking Edward's cock, moving along it with practiced, deliberate motions. The body next to him squirmed with need and Garrett broke the kiss, his body lay long and lean and naked next to Edward as he looked down into

the green eyes he had missed during so many lonely nights. Kate had marginally pleased him, but she could never make him feel the way Edward had. There were things that Garrett's body desired that Kate could never fulfill, and it had taken too many nights of failed sex for him to realize that it was Edward that his body craved, not the soft form of a woman.

Edward's hands seemed to be everywhere at once. Garrett moaned when he felt the tugging on the waves at his nape, and whimpered when he felt the tips brush over his cock. Edward became the aggressor and rolled Garrett onto his back, quickly moving his mouth down the firm body, leaving a slick trail behind. As Edward's tongue outlined the defined abs of Garrett's stomach, his hand went to Garrett's thick cock, and he pumped the shaft slowly. Coaxed by the keening sounds coming from the man next to him, Edward flicked his tongue over the flared head of Garrett's uncut cock before working it under the sensitive foreskin and sliding it back and forth.

"Fuck," Garrett cried out, his hips rising toward Edward. Garrett wasn't surprised that Edward knew exactly what made him feel good, unlike Kate, Edward had always been eager to play with the loose skin, even docking himself in it on several occasions.

Taking the cock deep into his mouth, Edward buried his nose in the coarse hair that framed Garrett's shaft, inhaling the musky, potent scent of their mutual arousals. Fingering the silky strands of Edward's hair, Garrett tried in vain to keep his hips still as Edward languidly sucked him.

"No one touches me like you, babe," Garrett admitted quietly, looking down his stomach through lust laden eyes to those of his lover.

The nickname hit Edward hard. It was said with so much more reverence than ever before. It wasn't with the casualness he had always said with it in the past, it was said with emotion for the first time. Watching Garrett through long lashes, Edward continued to leisurely work Garrett's cock, making sure to hit every spot that he knew drove Garrett wild with need. There was no need to hurry, there was no risk of a young child walking on them, there was no hiding in a shower or keeping one ear out for the sounds on a baby monitor, and there certainly wasn't fear of being video recorded against their will.

There were just two men, two lovers whose bodies desired and yearned and longed for whatever solace the other could offer, if only for a short amount of time.

No matter how unhurried Edward's ministrations were, Garrett felt a tingling low in his belly and he stopped Edward's movement before it was too late. Garrett wanted to feel more than Edward's mouth; he wanted to be inside him.

"Make love with me," Garrett pleaded as he lifted Edward's head off his cock. "I need you."

Garrett _needed _Edward.

That was all Edward had ever wanted, to be needed, wanted…loved.

Gazing at Garrett, Edward nodded, surprising himself with how easily he agreed, and how good it felt to be wanted and not pushed aside. Garrett smiled at Edward, brushing the backs of his fingers down the soft cheek, his eyes full of everything that he had wanted to say but had held back during their time together. Garrett had been raised to think that being gay was a sin, desiring another man's body was going to bring him nothing but hellfire and brimstone, but when he looked into the depths of Edward's eyes, he knew better.

Being gay wasn't a sin.

Living a lie was.

Denying your chance at love and happiness was a far bigger sin than being with another man.

While it would take months, maybe longer, before Garrett was completely at peace with who he was, he was on the road to accepting it, and being intimate with the man that had crawled inside his soul and woken it up was something Garrett had wanted to do since he realized his mistake weeks ago. That night with Kate, when he knew for sure that it was she that was nothing more than an experiment, but it had taken seeing Edward at a coffee shop with another man to send a charge of immediacy through him. Garrett had seen the flicker in the other man's eyes, the way he had warily watched Garrett, and Garrett knew there was something there.

If he wanted Edward back, he needed to act quickly before it was too late.

Edward leaned across the warm body under him and opened the drawer in the table next to his bed and pulled out a small bottle of lube and a condom. Garrett took over, easing Edward onto his back and pouring lube on his fingers before teasing Edward's entrance with them. Once he had gently inserted one finger, it wasn't long before Edward was moving against Garrett's body, wanting more. His hand gripped his own cock, stroking it in time with the finger fucking Garrett was giving him. Garrett always took care of Edward's body, even if they were fighting outside the bedroom, inside, they were tender and gentle. They'd had their share of rough sex, it was something they both enjoyed on occasion, but it was always done with the other's care and pleasure in mind.

"I want you inside me," Edward said in a throaty murmur.

Eagerly, Garrett removed his fingers and opened the condom, quickly sheathing his cock with it and slathering more lube on his length. Then, never taking his eyes from Edward's, he lifted one of Edward's legs as he guided the head of his cock into Edward. Hissing through clenched teeth, Edward breathed through the familiar burn, knowing in the end the pleasure was worth the pain. Once Garrett was completely inside Edward, he stilled, waiting for a signal that Edward was ready for him to continue. When it came in the form of a long groan and a twitch of his cock, Garrett rocked his hips, slipping his cock out until only the head remained before easing back in. He lifted Edward's other leg, holding them both up and out, and watched his cock disappear inside Edward's tight ass.

Garrett's hips thrust into Edward in a slow, tight rhythm, while Edward stroked his own cock. When Garrett struck deep inside Edward, the head of his cock tapping the place that sent Edward's back arching off the bed, he just about came undone. Seeing his collected Edward so wanton and shameless propelled him toward his orgasm. Edward's ass was tight around his lover's cock, and with every snap of Garrett's hips, Edward pumped himself faster. Maddeningly, Garrett kept Edward on the edge of his orgasm, never giving him quite enough to push him over until he was ready to jump himself. A cadence of groans and skin slapping skin hovered in the air with the scent of their lovemaking. Nothing else mattered for either them, their focus had become only each other. No Kate, no Jasper, no world outside the dark painted walls of Edward's bedroom. Garrett released Edward's legs and took Edward's hand from his cock, replacing it with his own.

"Fuck yeah," Edward moaned, his body tensing with each stroke and thrust. Edward's hands blindly reached for his lover, curving around his neck and drawing him down for a kiss.

Garrett continued to strike deep inside Edward, the motions of his hips synchronized with those of his hand. Before him, Edward's body begged for more, his moans were feral and greedy, and Garrett wanted nothing more than to see Edward unravel.

"Garrett," Edward said, the name easily falling from his lips, "please, need to come." He knew Garrett would take mercy on him, for he knew that Garrett needed to come just as badly.

"Come on, babe, want to see you come hard," Garrett encouraged softly.

And two thrusts later, Edward did just that and came hard.

Edward grunted, his entire body stilling as his climax surged through him in powerful crests. His cock emptied warm streams of cum onto his chest as Garrett stroked him through it, feeling his own impending orgasm building as he watched Edward ride out his own. The spasms of Edward's ass around Garrett's cock did him in, and with one last kiss, Garrett lost himself in his climax, feeling it wash over him as his balls drew up tight and his cock pulsed, erupting and filling the condom. Exhausted, Garrett collapsed onto Edward, their swollen lips meeting repeatedly as the remnants of their orgasms trickled through their bodies.

Finally, Garrett rolled his weight off his lover, who immediately missed the heaviness. Sensing this, Garrett kissed him again before moving off the bed and peeling off the used condom. Then he streaked to the bathroom, returning with a towel to wipe Edward clean. Throwing the towel on the floor, Garrett climbed back into bed and curled his body around Edward's, pressing his chest to Edward's sweaty back.

"That was amazing," Garrett whispered, wrapping an arm around Edward's middle and placing a kiss on his shoulder. Edward nodded, agreeing, but also feeling a twinge of pain in his heart that no matter how amazing it had felt, something wasn't right.

"What does this mean, Garrett," Edward asked bravely in the dark room, his eyes focused on the open window across from the bed.

Behind him, Garrett sighed. "It means I realized I was wrong about us. You're weren't just for fun, there's more to us, and I want to explore that."

"Explore?"

"I want to be out with you, babe. No more hiding who I am, no more ignoring you in public. I know before it seemed I was ashamed to be with you, and maybe in a way I was, but I was afraid, Edward. This is new to me," Garrett said honestly, sincerely.

Even as Edward's fingers laced with those resting on his stomach, his heart ached with the memory of how Garrett had treated him. "You made me feel like shit every time you would drop my hand when someone came up to us, or when you would flirt with all those _women_. You broke up with me on a fucking sidewalk on New Year's Eve," Edward scolded, his voice holding only a portion of the hurt he had felt that night.

"I know, babe, I'm so sorry. I was confused," Garrett whispered into the warm skin of Edward's shoulder.

"What changed?" Edward asked, curious.

Exhaling, Garrett gathered some courage. "Seeing you in the coffee shop the other day with another man…it just…made me sick. I barely made it back to the car before I was bending over and throwing up."

_Another man. _

_Jasper._

Edward shut his eyes, forcing away the images that flooded him.

"I drove Kate home and told her I didn't want to see her anymore. She kept drilling me, yelling that it was because of you until I finally admitted it was. Then she threatened to tell everyone that I was a fag."

"I'm sorry…."

"Don't be. I needed it. I went inside, downed a shot of whiskey, called my parents and came out."

Edward was shocked. Garrett had always been so paranoid about his family finding out. They lived thousands of miles away, but Garrett worried somehow it would get back to them that he had been with a man.

"What did they say?"

"They were shocked, upset, hurt, but by the end of the conversation, I basically said it was their choice if they wanted to keep me in their lives or not. I wasn't going to lie anymore and they knew where to find me if they wanted to talk."

Edward smiled at Garrett's rant, knowing that all the times he had encouraged Garrett to live his life and not his parents' had sunk in. "I'm proud of you," Edward said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. What you did wasn't easy."

"No, it wasn't, but it feels so much better, babe. There's a new life waiting for me now. One I hope has you in it…if…"

Edward swallowed the lump rising in his throat, constricting it. "If?"

"If you can forgive me and take me back," Garrett mumbled nervously, pulling his lover even closer to build up the confidence he needed to ask what he had come there wanting to know. "Will you take me back, Edward?"

"**~~**"

"Are you sure there's nothing that can be done?" Jasper asked desperately, clinging to the small hope that there was something that the lawyer hadn't thought of. Mr. Baldassarre was in his mid fifties, but he was fit with a ruggedly handsome face and short, black hair. Pictures of his family were scattered over the large oak desk that separated the two men in the office that was stuffy with degrees and meaningless paintings on the walls.

Jasper had gone to his family's attorney a few years after Bella had been born to draw up a will. He wanted to ensure that his life insurance policy went to her, and only her. He had also set up a small trust fund for her with some money he had inherited when his grandpappy had passed away when he was a teenager. It wasn't much, but it was enough to put Bella through college. More recently, he had called him after discovering the video recorders that Peter had planted in Jasper's home.

"I'm sorry, Jasper. Mrs. Wright never signed away her rights. Apparently the agreement she had with Mr. Swan was strictly verbal. I've looked over his will and what papers he had, there is nothing in them that allows you visitation, much less custody, of Bella. I'm afraid that her mother will be granted custody," Mr. Baldassarre replied.

Jasper's heart sank. In the days following Peter's funeral, he had been so wrapped up in keeping Bella's routine normal that he had pushed aside the thoughts nagging at him, thoughts of what was going to happen to Bella now that Peter was gone.

Jasper hung his head, squeezing his eyes shut to will away the tears that threatened to fall. "That's it then? Nothing can be done?"

"You could spend thousands of dollars to fight it in court, but in the end, a birth mother will be granted custody over a former partner. As I understand from your phone call regarding the cameras, you and Peter haven't been a couple for some time?"

"We broke up about a year ago," Jasper admitted, then added hopefully, "but I've remained in Bella's life. I see her every few days, some weekends."

"But nothing formal was every set up through the courts or an attorney? It was all done on good faith?"

Jasper nodded sadly. "Mr. Baldassarre, I'm all that little girl has left," he pleaded.

The attorney sighed. His client was distraught at the thought of losing the most important person in his life, but he had so many things going against him; he was the deceased's former, not current, partner, there was no formal arrangement, no adoption. It was clear that Jasper had no rights to the child no matter how much he loved her.

"Has the mother been in the child's life at all?" he asked, picking up his pen to jot down some notes.

"She called every month or so to check in, she talks to Bella on the phone, but until recently she hadn't seen her in almost about three months."

"Is she fit?"

Jasper's instinct was to answer no, for he felt that any mother that walked away from her child after giving birth was unfit, but the eyes of the law would view it differently. She had a stable job as a high school art teacher, owned a small home, lived a clean lifestyle. She just wasn't an active parent. It wasn't that she didn't love Bella, in fact, Jasper was pretty sure in her own way she did, it was more that she felt that Peter was more suitable to raise their daughter. Charlotte had been young when Bella was born, she got scared and ran. Peter stepped up to the plate, and with Jasper by his side, they raised their daughter.

A sob escaped Jasper as the thoughts overwhelmed him.

"Yes," Jasper nodded.

"Where does she live?"

"Renton."

"Have you been in touch with her since Peter's death?"

Jasper took a deep breath, remembering the phone call he had made the day after Peter had died. Rosalie had tried to stop Jasper from calling her, but Jasper knew it was the right thing to do. Bella was her daughter, and she had just lost her father. Charlotte had answered the phone, confused to hear Jasper's voice and not her ex's, but then as Jasper told her the news, the tears started. It wasn't that Charlotte loved Peter, far from it, but they had shared something and the loss of someone from your past was always terrifying. Charlotte arrived the next day, knocking on Jasper's door where she pulled him into an uncomfortable hug before asking about her daughter.

"She came down for the funeral. She's been staying at the inn on Main Street."

"And has she spent time with Bella?"

"Yes, she's been with her most of the days."

"Do you two get along?"

"For Bella's sake, we do."

"Do you think she would consider visitation rights?"

Jasper honestly didn't know. He only knew he would wither away without his brown eyed girl in his life to brighten his days. Shrugging his shoulders, Jasper sighed. "Maybe. I don't know."

"Why don't you bring her in here tomorrow, we can talk and see if we can't get something into writing. Though, Jasper, I have to warn you, if she says no, then you don't have much choice. It's either live by her conditions or fight her in court. I'm not sure a long, drawn out case is in Bella's best interest," Mr. Baldassarre reasoned.

Jasper agreed, but he wondered if going to live with her mother was in Bella's best interest either. Peter's family was small, his father had died a few years before leaving his wife and another son. They knew, and accepted, Peter's sexuality. They had welcomed Jasper into their lives, treating him like another son. Even after the break up, Peter's mother called Jasper every few months to say hello. He knew they would support him in a court battle against Charlotte, speak on his behalf, but he slowly realized that even Peter's mother had more claim to Bella than he did. At least she was blood relative.

Even though for the past six years Jasper had helped raised Bella, diapered her, fed her bottles the middle of the night, kissed her boo-boos, read bedtimes stories, and kept her happy and safe and healthy, he had no right do any of those things anymore.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Baldassarre, I will try to bring Charlotte in tomorrow," Jasper said, standing. The lawyer stood and held out his hand.

"I'm sorry for you loss, Jasper. I'm sorry there isn't more I can do for you," he resigned.

Numbly, Jasper nodded and turned to leave. He walked to his car, not even noticing the warm sun beaming down or the music that played on his stereo all the way home. His heart was heavy as he pulled into his driveway, and after a deep breath, got out.

Bella greeted him at the door, her long, brown waves pulled back in a braid that he had put it in earlier that morning. Bella definitely had Peter's hair and cheeks, but she had her mother's dark, intense eyes and full lips. Jasper didn't share any of those physical features with his daughter, but he shared something far more important.

His heart.

"Hey, sugar," Jasper said as he kneeled to accept her hug. Clinging to her, Jasper stood and smiled when her legs locked around his waist. "Did you have fun with mommy?"

"Yes, we did puzzles and colored you a picture," Bella announced proudly.

"Awesome," he smiled for the first time all day. Charlotte appeared from around the corner, leaning her slim hips against the wall. She was dressed in a simple button down shirt and jeans, her long, wavy hair loose around her shoulders. Jasper lowered Bella to the floor. "Why don't you go get the picture for me?"

Nodding, Bella ran off, and Jasper turned to Charlotte. "She worked very hard on it."

"Thanks for watching her for me. I appreciate it."

Charlotte shrugged. "I know this is hard for you, Jasper. Having me here."

"I'm not going to lie, it is, but I was hoping we could talk. Would you stay for dinner?"

After considering for a moment, Charlotte nodded. Bella reappeared with a picture in her hand, her eyes sparkling brightly. She held it up for Jasper to see a penguin colored pink and blue with the words 'I love you, daddy' written at the top. A few letters were backwards, and it was messy, but Jasper had never seen a more beautiful piece of art.

"It's perfect," he smiled down at his daughter. "Can I bring it to work with me? I'd want to show it to all my friends?" Bella nodded excitedly. "I'm going to cook some spaghetti for dinner, and mommy is going to eat with us too."

Bella grinned, "And Papa too?"

Jasper's face fell and he reached up and brushed the stray hairs off Bella's face. "No, baby girl. Remember Papa is in heaven now," he reminded her sadly.

"With Fluffy?" Bella remembered, referring to their cat that had died the year before.

"Yes, with Fluffy."

"I wish he was here with us. When will he come back?" Bella asked innocently.

Jasper's already broken heart shattered into a million more pieces and he tried his best to smile. "Not for a long time, sugar. But mommy and I are here."

There was a sudden sadness in Bella's eyes as she absorbed the news again. It seemed Jasper was telling her every day that her papa was gone, she seemed to understand a little quicker each day that Peter didn't come home at night.

Charlotte kneeled before her daughter and took her hand. "Remember when we were coloring earlier, and we talked about papa and how he was in heaven with cotton candy clouds and lots of puppies?"

"Yeah," Bella said quietly. "And Fluffy."

"And Fluffy."

"Bella, why don't you go watch a movie while your mommy and I get dinner started?" Jasper shooed Bella off with a kiss to her forehead and she bounded into the living room. A minute later, he heard the familiar sounds of a Disney video. Charlotte followed him into the kitchen.

They worked well together. Charlotte made the salad while Jasper started the pasta and garlic bread. The kitchen was small, but they moved around it easily. Jasper pulled a jar of sauce out of the cupboard.

"Hope you don't mind?" he asked, holding the jar up for her inspection, and Charlotte shook her head. "I never learned to make homemade sauce."

"My mother has great recipe, I'll share it with you," the woman offered. Once dinner was cooking, Jasper handed Charlotte a soda and took a sip of his own.

"I don't know where to start other than to say that little girl is my world, Charlotte. She might not be mine biologically, but she's mine in every other way."

"She loves you," Charlotte smiled.

"But that doesn't matter to a court. Now that Peter is gone, you will have custody," Jasper said softly, even just saying the words aloud made it too real.

"I know you probably don't think I'm capable, and honestly, sometimes I wonder myself. I never expected to be a full time mother. Certainly not this way, but I do love her Jasper," Charlotte said.

"I know you do."

"I've already been in touch with the school in Renton and have made arrangements to register her next week."

A stab of pain went through Jasper with the very real possibility of Bella leaving him. "That's what I want to talk to you about. Peter let me see Bella on a regular basis, she stayed with me on some weekends and I saw her for dinners a few nights during the week."

"And you want to continue that?" Charlotte assumed correctly.

"I know I've got no legal rights to her, she isn't mine by blood no matter how much I wish it true, but, Charlotte, I need her in my life. I'll drive to Renton if it makes it easier. Just please don't cut me out of her life," Jasper pleased with the woman, hoping the softness in her brown eyes was because she sympathized with Jasper.

"She needs you too," Charlotte began, "Anyone can see that. I don't have any intentions of cutting you from her life, Jasper."

Jasper sighed in relief, it certainly wasn't the most ideal situation, but knowing that Bella would remain a part of his life was enough to keep his heart beating another day.

"Thank you," he said, gratefully. "Now I've got a favor to ask."

"More?" she teased as she put her bottle on the counter.

"I'd like to draw something formal up."

"Formal?"

"Like a visitation agreement," he hedged slowly, his nerves quickly returning to twist his stomach. "I've got a lawyer that can do it tomorrow."

"You've already planned this out?" she asked, suspicious.

"I saw him today to go over some papers, when I explained the situation, he offered to draw something up if you agreed."

"Like summers with you, vacations with me?"

"Yes, exactly." He waited while she thought about his offer, if he hadn't thought it impolite he would have paced the kitchen back and forth. As it was, he shifted his weight several times.

"After I found I was pregnant, I was scared. I was young and barely knew what love was, but I knew I wasn't ready to settle down. Leaving Bella with Peter might have seemed wrong to you, but it was the right thing for me, and in the end, I think for Bella."

"She grew up without a mother to say goodnight to every day," Jasper said with a wisp of anger in his voice.

"True, but she had two loving parents. I was able to finish my degree, get a job that I love, and now life has changed for me again, only in a much different way."

"Why didn't you call or see her more often?" Jasper accused lightly.

"Because I didn't want to interfere with the two of you raising her, you both did a wonderful job. Maybe I should have stepped in more, and I wanted to, but I knew she was happy and safe. I'm sorry we lost Peter. I know you two had your problems these past few years, but he was a good man and he loved you. I can do this, Jasper. I can be the mother she needs."

Jasper had no choice but to believe her, and deep down he did. It would kill him not to see Bella as often, but Charlotte would keep her safe and he felt confident she would raise her to be a beautiful young woman.

"I know you can," he finally whispered. Charlotte crossed the kitchen to Jasper and hugged him.

"I'll go to the lawyers with you," she said and he smiled.

They finished cooking dinner, calling for Bella to wash her hands and then come to the table. The three of them then sat down and ate, even sharing a few laughs. When dinner was done, Jasper cleaned up while Charlotte bathed Bella and then they sat and ate ice cream together. Jasper took a few minutes and sent a text to Edward, just to let him know he was thinking about him, and missed him.

Bedtime came and Charlotte offered to read Bella's stories. Jasper checked in on them and found Bella curled up into her mother's side, Charlotte's arm lovingly around her daughter's shoulders as she read Cinderella to her.

The sight warmed Jasper, tugging at his heart and filling it with something he hadn't felt in well over a week.

Maybe it would work out after all.

The next morning, Jasper dropped Bella off at Emmett's before picking Charlotte up her the hotel and driving them to the lawyer's. After greeting them, Mr. Baladassarre ushered them into his office where they all sat down.

"Have you two worked something out?"

Jasper glanced at Charlotte before speaking. "Charlotte is a teacher, so she has vacations and summers off, as well as all holidays. Last night we sat down and worked out a schedule that I think we were both pleased with."

Charlotte nodded. "We just need to put it into writing."

"I can do that," Mr. Baldassarre smiled and pulled out his notebook. "What have you decided?"

It was Charlotte that spoke first. "Jasper will have Bella for February vacation, and the month of July, as well as every other weekend. He will have her for Thanksgiving, and Christmas she will be with me, but Jasper is welcome to join us."

Mr. Baldassarre was pleased, they had done most of the negotiating for him, making his job considerably easier. It was only a matter of drawing up the paperwork.

"Jasper, are you happy with that amount?" he asked his client.

"Yes," he nodded. While he would greatly miss the daily interaction with Bella, he would be able to talk to her on the phone or even webcam with her. Jasper knew he was lucky to have any time with his daughter, much less the generous amount that Charlotte had agreed to.

"Very well, then," the attorney said, writing down the dates on his paper. "I will have this drawn up this afternoon and you can both sign it tomorrow?"

"Sure. I'm here for a few more days," Charlotte said. Mr. Baldassarre stood and shook both their hands. Jasper and Charlotte left, heading to Emmett's to pick up Bella.

"I've got to go through Peter's things," Jasper announced in the car as they pulled out to the street. Peter's mother and brother had been there for the funeral, taking a few mementoes of their son and brother, but they left the rest for Jasper to decide what to do with. He also had to begin to pack up Bella's things for her move to Renton.

"Do you want me to help?" Charlotte offered.

It was considerate, but it was something Jasper knew he had to do alone. Facing the ghosts of his relationship in Peter's place was going to be difficult enough without Charlotte there to witness it. While Jasper wanted support while he went through the things, it wasn't her support he was suddenly craving.

"No, I think I need to do it alone," he sighed.

"I understand. How about I take Bella for a girl's day out? We can meet at your place for dinner?" the woman beside him suggested. "She and I can pick up some Chinese on the way home?"

"That sounds nice. It would be good for her to get to know you better before you leave," he returned quietly.

Only a few minutes later, they were arriving at Emmett's. They picked up Bella and then after a big hug from his little girl, Jasper left them at the hotel and headed for Peter's house. There was an ache in Jasper's heart as he neared his ex lover's home, the home they had shared for so long together. There wasn't anything about the house that Jasper didn't know, things that only came with day to day life.

Pulling into the driveway, Jasper turned the car off and stared at the modest two story house. Inside were all of Peter's belongings, clothes, dishes, furniture…as well as the memories of their time together. There wasn't a room that hadn't been touched by their relationship, whether they painted it or had made love in it. With a heavy sigh, Jasper got out of the car and went to the door, unlocking it with his key. Stepping inside, he inhaled the scent, immediately feeling his heart race with the task he faced. Looking around he saw Peter everywhere, and regardless of what Peter had done to him recently, he had been a good partner for many years. Feeling lightheaded, Jasper went to the couch and sat down, taking in long, deep breaths to calm his pounding heart.

Suddenly being there alone didn't seem like such a good idea.

There was only one person he wanted there with him, one person that could lift the darkness that had shrouded him for the past week. Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed his boyfriend's number, already feeling calmer as he held the phone to his ear and waited for Edward to answer.

"Jasper?"

Relief swept through Jasper…until he heard another man laugh in the background.

* * *

"**~~**"

Thanks for reading~

Thank you to Yogagal and PerfectlyPersuasive for allowing me to participate. It was an honor and a pleasure to be included.

**Savannah-Vee** is up next, can't wait to see what she does with the boys!

**Yogagal & PerfectlyPersuasive note**: A huge thanks to **Touchstone67** for participating in this project! You can read more of Touchstone67's fics like the poplar _Mergers and Acquisitions_ or the angst-ridden _If On A Winter's Night_ over at her profile (linked from ours!). Join us next week when **Savannah-Vee** takes over!


	10. SavannahVee

"Jasper?" Edward repeated. "You there?"

The line had gone deathly silent.

Jasper cleared his throat a little after a moment. "Yeah, I'm here," he replied, his voice low.

Edward half smiled at hearing his voice – despite the sudden stab of guilt that punctured his chest.

Garrett was in the living room on the couch, laughing at something on the TV.

Edward placed a hand over the speaker on the phone and moved away from him, towards the bedroom so Jasper wouldn't hear –

"Who's that?"

Edward closed his eyes.

_Fuck. Too late._

He grimaced and rubbed his fingers against his forehead as he answered, "Garrett."

Jasper missed a beat before asking, "Garrett? Your ex, Garrett?"

Edward couldn't hold back his sigh. "Yeah."

Again there was silence.

"Jasper – ?"

"What's he doing at your house?"

Edward ran a hand through his hair. Shit, how the hell was he going to explain this? "He… he came over unexpectedly."

Jasper was silent on the line a moment before prompting – rather impatiently, "And?"

"And… he said he wanted to talk. So I let him talk." Edward sighed deeply. "He told me he wanted me back."

Edward heard Jasper take a deep breath – as if steeling himself. He could already hear the resignation in Jasper's voice as he said, "Alright. And then what happened?"

"Jesus." Edward scrubbed a hand over his face. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking straight – I… I never really did when it came to him. Plus, I'd had a few beers… And… and you said we should take a break and I wasn't sure if… if that break was permanent, you know, seeing as you had Bella to think about. I was lonely, and… afraid of being alone again, and –"

"So what happened?" Jasper repeated. He was almost yelling now.

"I'm sorry, J."

"Fuck your apology," Jasper said through clenched teeth. "What. Happened?"

Edward grimaced. The words that were about to leave his lips were like foul tasting bile. "I slept with him."

Jasper laughed – but it definitely wasn't a happy laugh, or even a bitter, sarcastic laugh.

It was more like the hysterical, disbelieving laugh of a person at the end of their tether. The laugh of a person who'd had a fucked up day and the thing you just said or did to them was the last straw, the thing that would tip them over the edge.

"It's been what, a _week_, and you're already running back to fuck your ex? Christ, I didn't know you at all."

"Jasper –"

"I mean, shit, Edward, the piercing hasn't even fully healed yet. What, you just couldn't _wait_ to get off? Thought you'd get someone else to fuck you while I couldn't?"

"Fuck, Jasper, you know it's not like that –"

"Then _how _is it like, exactly? 'Cause right now, I'm failing to understand this shit. I only asked you for a little space, just until I sorted out all this stuff with Peter's death. I'm not saying we were on our way to marriage or anything but I thought we were exclusive. I thought maybe…" Jasper trailed off. He sighed instead, defeated. "I was wrong, I guess. And maybe this is a good thing. Maybe I need to be on my own for a little while, get settled into this visitation thing with Bella –"

"Visitation? What?" Edward couldn't help interrupting.

Jasper scoffed. "Yeah, while you were busy getting your rocks off I got told I have no rights to keeping Bella, my fucking _daughter_, at all. But I should be grateful, I guess, because her mom's a decent person and I'm allowed to see her. I won't bore you though, you're probably relieved to be getting away from me and all my crazy baggage –"

"That's not fair, J. You know how much I care about Bella too."

"Oh, really? You do? Bet you weren't fucking _caring _when you crawled into bed with your ex after he fed you a few sweet lines though."

"It was a mistake."

"Yeah, well, too late."

The line went dead before Edward could say anything more.

With a curse, he tossed the phone on the bed, the bed where he'd made love – no, the bed where Garret had _fucked _him, and sagged against the wall, squeezing his eyes shut.

When he opened his eyes Garrett was in the doorway, staring at him.

"What's going on? You ok?"

Edward couldn't even bear to look at the guy anymore. Because the more he looked at him, the more disgusted he felt – with himself.

"Look, tonight… it was a mistake. You should go."

Garrett showed no outward sign of surprise, like he'd expected it – like he'd been listening to Edward's phone conversation all along.

"I meant what I said; I want you back," he said.

Edward shook his head. "I didn't give you an answer earlier on because I wasn't sure. Now I am. I don't wanna be with you."

Garrett sneered. "Well, you're gonna end up all alone. I mean, your blond boyfriend doesn't want you anymore."

Edward's eyes snapped up to look at him then.

Garrett's eyes met his dead on, and he smirked. "No one else wants you, Edward. No one else will, and you know that, which is why you stayed with me so long." He took a few steps towards him and leaned in to whisper, "_I_ want you, Edward. Blondie doesn't. Does it make sense for you to be alone when there's someone right here" – he brushed Edward's cheek with the back of his fingers – "who wants you? Who _loves _you?"

Christ, the guy hadn't changed in the slightest, Edward thought. Garrett was still the abusive, manipulative dick he'd always been. And Edward felt like a complete idiot for letting him snake his way back into his life like this, and for fucking things up with someone who was a _hundred times_ the man Garrett was.

And it was Edward's relationship with Jasper that had allowed him to see what Garrett was doing. If he hadn't been with Jasper and seen what a healthy, happy, _normal _relationship with someone was like, he would have believed every single venomous word that came from Garrett's mouth.

Hell, he'd already started to believe them long before Garrett spoke them.

From the moment Jasper had asked him for some space, Garrett's words had begun floating in his mind: _No one else wants you. No one else will, and you know that. Jasper doesn't want you. You'll be alone._

Because abuse, in whatever form, wasn't something that was easily cured.

Garrett had said things like that to him all the time during their time together, and when someone keeps telling you something over and over… well, eventually, you start believing it.

"Get out."

Edward was calm as he spoke the words, his face smoothed out into a stoic mask as he held Garrett's gaze.

Garrett smiled. "You don't mean it," he said, equally calm. "When I go and you think about it, think about how lonely you're gonna be without me, you'll call."

Edward shook his head in disbelief at the sheer arrogance of the guy, but refused to entertain him.

"Get out," he repeated.

-x-

The weekend had been terrible. Edward had spent it drinking copious amounts of alcohol, calling Jasper's phone only to get his goddamn voicemail, and sleeping.

So work on Monday was a relief. At least he had something to do to keep his mind off how stupid he'd been, something to at least make him forget about Jasper for a few hours –

"How could you, Edward?"

Oh, right. He'd forgotten about Alice.

He sighed, rubbing his temples as if he had a headache. He had a feeling he'd be getting one shortly anyway.

"I know, Alice," he muttered. "I'm an idiot."

Alice sighed too and perched on the edge of his desk. "You're not an idiot. But… _why? _I mean, I met the guy and he was such an asshole… I don't get it."

Edward shrugged helplessly. He didn't get it either. "Like I said, I'm an idiot."

"Jasper's really hurt."

Edward closed his eyes. "What did he say?"

"Not much. He told me that you… you know, with Garrett. And that was only after I'd asked him if he'd seen you over the weekend. I was thinking he didn't sound like himself even before he told me what happened, but I figured that was because of the whole Peter thing. Bella's living with her mom now, you know."

"I know."

"Have to tried to talk to him?"

"I was calling him all weekend but his phone kept going to voicemail."

"Did you leave any messages?"

"No."

"Good. He needs time to calm down. I say you give him some space, don't call, text, go over to his place, nothing, for at least a week," Alice said.

Edward nodded.

"And then maybe you can try talking to him again. I'm not saying that'll work, but it's worth a try. You two were so good together… I just don't get why you'd go and mess it up like that. Anyway," Alice stood up abruptly. "I've gotta go do some actual _work_. Lunch?"

Edward nodded again.

"Ok, see you then."

-x-

Edward didn't mean to eavesdrop.

He knew eavesdropping was nearly always a bad idea.

But it was damn near impossible for him not to. _Especially_ when he was waiting for Alice outside her office at lunch and heard her say,

"But hey, you said Charlotte seems a lot more responsible now, right? At least you know Bella will be safe with her."

Edward had been slumped against the wall as he waited for Alice to finish up in her office. But hearing Bella's name had him perking up and moving closer to the door. Because Alice could only be talking to one person if she was talking about Bella.

Jasper.

He could hear her shuffling papers on her desk as she spoke. "So how are _you_ doing, Jas? Feeling any better today?"

Edward moved even closer to the door, as if that would make a difference to how much of the conversation he heard.

Alice laughed softly. "I know you're not sick. Do you have to be sick for me to ask how you are? Besides, you're only being a smart ass because you know what I'm referring to when I ask you that question, and you don't wanna answer it."

Edward knew what she was referring to, as well. And hoped that he would answer it.

He waited, barely breathing, as Alice was silent for a long while, only letting out an "uh huh" or "I know" occasionally.

Until finally she said, "Yeah, I spoke to him today." She sighed. "Honestly – and don't get mad – but I'd say he feels almost as shitty as you do. He certainly _looks_ like he does. And I know he's the one in the wrong. I mean, he _cheated_ after all…"

Edward winced at the word.

"But maybe you should just hear what he has to say before completely making your mind up. And I'm only playing Devil's Advocate here so don't bite my head off, but you know, one could argue that he didn't cheat because, _technically_, you were on a break."

Edward heard Alice snicker.

"Oh, really? I seem to remember you were Team Ross though. Kind of hypocritical, don't you think?" She sighed. "I know it's not the same situation. I'm kidding. I was just trying to cheer you up a little. But I've gotta go now anyway, I'm starving. I'll give you a call after work, ok? Alright. Bye."

When Alice wrenched the door open a second later, Edward nearly jumped back in surprise.

She raised her eyebrow at him in a knowing way. "He says he'll talk to you – but still, give him a week, like I said. You're welcome. Don't screw up your chance." She grabbed her coat and put it on before shutting and locking her office door.

Edward could only stand there, stunned.

Alice rolled her eyes and grabbed him by the elbow. "C'mon, Eavesdropper, I'm hungry."

-x-

Sunday, Edward decided, was when he'd try to talk to Jasper.

And Alice agreed that it was a good idea.

The week passed by unbelievably slowly – and yet, when Sunday finally rolled around… it seemed too soon.

Edward had spent that week going over and over what he wanted to say to Jasper:

_I'm sorry. Sleeping with Garrett was a stupid mistake. I could try to explain what was going through my mind at the time but that would seem like I was trying to justify it, which I'm not. I'm sorry. Maybe we could start over? Go slowly this time? Anything you want. Please? I just don't want to lose you, Jasper._

But when Jasper opened his front door that Sunday afternoon, and met his eyes with an ice-cold glare,

Edward's mind went blank.

* * *

**A/N:** Hope you liked it. Next up, the awesome, ArcadianMaggie.

**Yogagal & PerfectlyPersuasive note:** A big thanks to the awesome Savannah-Vee for working her magic on this chapter! You can read more of Savannah-Vee's work, like the super excellent **Uncomfortable**, over on her profile (she's in our favs, go check her out!). We'll see you all next week when **ArcadianMaggie** decides how she wants to handle Edward and Jasper's fates!


	11. ArcadianMaggie

**A/N:** Thank you for asking me to be a part of this entertaining experiment. And, as always, thank you to my talented beta, **OnTheTurningAway**.

* * *

Edward leaned back in his chair and pulled his glasses off his face, rubbing his eyes wearily. With half his department out with the flu and two crucial deadlines to meet, it had been an exhausting week. He couldn't wait to get home, take a hot shower and collapse in his bed. He'd only caught snatches of sleep over the past few days.

As he was finally wrapping things up, his boss stopped by, poking his head in his office.

"Great job this week, Edward."

"Thanks."

"You'll be there tonight, right?"

Edward groaned, rubbing his hands over his face. "That's tonight?" He had completely forgotten about the company holiday party that evening.

"Sorry. I know it's probably the last thing you feel like doing, but I really need you to at least put in an appearance. There are a few potential clients I want you to meet. You don't have to stay long."

With a heavy sigh Edward said, "Yeah, okay. I'll be there."

"Great. Why don't you take a day or two off next week? We don't want you getting sick too."

"I'll think about it. I've still got the Hale account to deal with."

His boss shot him an admonishing look. "Other people can handle that just fine. I don't expect to see you back here until Wednesday at least."

Edward nodded. At this point he felt like he could sleep until Wednesday. "All right. Thanks."

"No problem. You've earned it. See you tonight."

After his boss left, Edward resisted the urge to lean his head back, for just a minute, and shut his eyes. He knew if he started to doze, he'd never make it through the evening. Before shutting his laptop down for the night, he checked his email one last time, made some notes on the Hale account for his co-workers and wrapped up a few remaining loose ends. His first stop on leaving the office was a drive through for a coffee he hoped would give him a little extra energy to get through the night. The slight sore throat he was developing made him think his exhaustion might be from more than just overworking.

Once home Edward stepped in the shower and let the hot water pound on his aching muscles. He leaned against the tile wall, shutting his eyes and feeling the spray wash over his body. God, he was tired. If he wasn't careful, he could fall asleep right here, standing up in the shower. Hauling himself upright from where he had been propped, he finished washing up and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his hips. He forewent a shave, figuring there was only so much effort he was willing to expend after the week he'd had. He rubbed his bleary eyes again, deciding he'd have to forego the contact lenses as well, and put his glasses back on.

He hated these stupid gatherings. Somehow, it seemed he got roped into going every single year. Of course now the parties were high end as befitting an advertising firm whose business was all about image, and they included important clients as well as employees. They were a far cry from the holiday party Edward remembered from years ago, one thrown by a start-up graphics company complete with a retro theme, a fake Christmas tree and decorated with crepe paper streamers.

He smiled to himself thinking back on Alice's efforts. He missed working with her. As always when he was reminded of that night, his mind drifted to Jasper, and he wondered what he was doing these days. He knew Alice kept in touch with him, but he had never asked her about him. After their ugly break-up, and Edward's attempts to talk to Jasper had failed repeatedly, he eventually realized that the best thing he could do for Jasper, if he truly cared about him, was to stay out of his life completely.

He could hardly believe what he had done to the man now. Cheating on him at such an emotional time. He had stopped playing rationalization games about his behavior long ago. His former partner of seven years dying, struggling to not lose his daughter completely… Edward's actions were reprehensible. He still felt a little sick whenever he thought about it. Yes, he had been a little fucked up back then, and confused, and definitely immature, but still... He had really thought he loved Jasper. From any angle you looked at it, that wasn't how you treated someone you loved.

Well, a lot had changed in the last five years. Now he was head of the Art Department for the city's top advertising firm. He had worked hard and had gotten his shit together. At least he liked to think so. Edward wasn't that guy any more, thank God. He'd had several successful relationships since then, and although none of them had led to anything permanent, he knew he wouldn't run, or subconsciously sabotage things, if something looked to be headed that way.

A small meow broke the silence and he felt a soft furry body rubbing against his calf. He reached down, giving the tabby a scritch behind the ears. "Did you miss me, Matilda?" he asked before picking the cat up and cradling her against his chest. Her loud purrs and cold nose against his neck indicated the answer was a resounding yes. He carried her into the bedroom and dropped her on the bed while he got ready for the evening.

Edward sighed as he dressed for the party, pulling on an undershirt and some boxer-briefs before deciding on a pair of tailored black pants and a crisp white shirt. These holiday parties always brought back memories. If he wasn't careful, he'd start to get maudlin, especially given how tired and run down he felt. It had been a long time, and for the most part, he didn't give the past much thought anymore—even with the obvious reminder attached to his cock, but his behavior toward Jasper remained his biggest regret.

He sorted through his ties and pulled out a grey silk one with green stripes. Festive enough. On a nostalgic whim, remembering Alice's enthusiastic match making machinations and all her helpful tips, he pulled out a dark green cashmere sweater vest and put it on over his shirt. He grabbed his jacket and headed to the kitchen to feed Matilda before leaving. He also decided to rifle through his cabinet for some cold medicine. His sore throat was starting to take a turn for the worse. Maybe if he took something now, he could avoid a full blown case of the flu.

Edward was tempted to grab another coffee before hitting the party, but decided to skip it. The last thing he needed was to be wired up on caffeine. He just needed to get there, say his hellos and do the requisite schmoozing, so he could get back home to bed.

After checking his coat and entering the room, he knew he wasn't going to be making a quick getaway. The place was packed. With so many companies doing away with the annual holiday party in these tough economic times, his firm's event was a not-to-be-missed affair. He was barely through the door when he was accosted by a client who had obviously been taking advantage of the open bar. As soon as Edward could get away from the overly chatty man, he made a beeline for the bar himself, planning to do the same. If there was one thing he knew this evening was going to require, it was copious amounts of alcohol.

He greeted the bartender and asked, "What do you have for scotch?" in reply to the query of what he wanted to drink. He nodded in approval at the label when the bartender held up the bottle, happy to see no expense was being spared. "Neat," he requested. When the bartender raised an eyebrow as he poured, Edward gave a smile, inclining his head, encouraging him to fill the glass with far more liquor than a typical shot.

He raised his glass in tribute, saying, "Good man. Thank you very much," while dropping a generous tip in the jar. He took a sip, enjoying the burn on his sore throat then turned to survey the crowd.

The venue may have been high end; the clothes may have been fancy, but as Edward surveyed the crowd, he mused that all office holiday parties had a core of similarity. Sure there was champagne and caviar instead of meatballs and punch, but there was also the annoying guy from sales, coincidentally named Mike, with the too loud laugh and the too friendly demeanor. There was Gianna, one of the admins, with a too low cut dress, standing too closely to one of their more prestigious clients. There was Jane from collections and Demetri from new business development flirting with each other, pretending that they didn't sneak off to the copier room, or the rest room, or the supply closet for a quickie whenever they had the chance.

There was—his heart gave a small start as he spied a small dark haired woman standing next to a tall man with wavy blond hair. Edward had such a flash of déjà vu, he half expected to see a poster of Rudolph against the window and hear Bing in the background instead of the string quartet that was playing until the band would start up a later. He craned his neck to try and get a better look at the couple who kept disappearing behind milling party guests. A break in the crowd finally appeared and the woman turned so that he could catch a glimpse of her face. He relaxed, shaking his head at himself. The woman was completely unfamiliar. Diminutive stature or not, she was definitely not Alice. Anyway, Alice would have mentioned it if she had planned to be here tonight.

Downing the remainder of his scotch in one large gulp, Edward turned to the bartender and asked for a refill. God, he needed sleep. He was obviously not thinking clearly. He looked ruefully at his glass, briefly acknowledging it probably wasn't the best idea in the condition he was already in, but if he had to talk to all these people and pretend to be full of holiday cheer, he needed to be a little drunk.

Make that a little more drunk.

He sighed again when his boss spotted him, took another large gulp of the liquor and had his drink topped off before bracing his shoulders to go work the room. The sooner he got it over with, the sooner he could get out of there.

Countless introductions later, Edward was struggling to focus. He didn't think he could make it much longer before collapsing. And in spite of the cold medicine he had taken earlier, he could feel the illness coming on fast and furious.

"I'm going to head out," he told his boss. "I'm beat."

"Can you wait ten more minutes? There's just one more introduction I need to make. Let me go find them and I'll be right back."

Edward acquiesced, resigned. He sunk into a chair, exhausted, concentrating on keeping his eyes open. When did it get so hot in the room, he wondered? He took a large sip of his drink, now diluted with soda water and over ice. The cold liquid did nothing to cool him down, even when he pressed the glass against his cheeks and his forehead. He shrugged out of his jacket and worked at the tie around his neck, pulling it off in frustration and opening up his shirt at the collar. When that still didn't help, he rolled up his sleeves.

Feeling worse by the second, head spinning, he was just about to leave when he saw his boss returning with the couple he had seen earlier, the dark haired woman who was not Alice, and the blond haired man… who _was_ Jasper.

Fuck.

He stood up, his stomach a mass of nerves. At least he hoped it was nerves and he wasn't about to vomit. The situation was already awkward enough.

"Edward! I want you to meet Maria Martinez and Jasper Whitlock. They're the architects who will be working on our new building design. I want them to meet with all the heads of departments to make sure we have input from our key players on what we'll need to keep this company at the top."

Edward reached out his hand. "Ms. Martinez, pleasure to meet you," he said.

"Likewise," she replied with an appreciative smile.

He took a deep breath and turned to the man he hadn't seen in years. "Jasper," he said, "It's been a long time."

"Yes, it has." He didn't fail to notice that Jasper did not proffer a hand to shake.

"Oh, you two know each other already?" his boss exclaimed. "Wonderful. I'll just steal Maria for a bit and let you two catch up. Edward, not before Wednesday. I mean it."

"I got it. It was a pleasure to meet you. I'm sure we'll be speaking again soon."

Maria regarded Edward and Jasper's twin looks of dread with amused speculation as she let herself be dragged away.

"So…" Edward began, at a loss.

"I need a drink," Jasper cut in.

"Excellent idea." Edward jumped on the suggestion. "This way."

Jasper followed Edward back to his friendly bartender. Edward concentrated on walking in a straight line and not falling on their way over.

"What'll you have?" Edward asked.

"Bourbon and soda."

"Another scotch for me."

Edward took a sip of his drink and felt it go straight to his head. He was glad for the solid surface of the bar to lean on.

"I was just thinking about you, earlier tonight," he blurted out. "About the holiday party when we first met. I saw you a while ago from behind and had this moment of déjà vu, and then I saw Maria, who absolutely wasn't Alice, and realized it wasn't you, but it was really was, after all. Here you are. It's really you."

Jesus. What in hell was he babbling about? Why did he drink so much?

He took another drink, trying to steady his nerves.

Jasper cleared his throat and fidgeted uncomfortably. "Yes, it's really me."

After a moment of tense silence, Jasper said, "So… head of the art department? Sounds like you're doing well for yourself."

Suddenly, it seemed very important that Jasper know how much he had changed.

"Well enough, I suppose. I've worked hard to get where I am. I'm not the man I was when you knew me before. I've changed. I'm a changed man." He made the declaration seriously, with an emphatic nod of his head. He swayed dangerously as his head bobbed and he gripped the edge of the bar tightly, trying to steady himself.

"Uh… maybe we should have this conversation another time," Jasper suggested. He made as if he would leave, but Edward risked his ability to stay upright by shooting his hand out to grab Jasper's wrist.

"No, wait," Edward entreated.

Jasper closed his eyes for a moment and sighed heavily. "Fine," he said in a clipped voice. "We'll do this now."

Edward just stared at his hand around Jasper's wrist. Jasper's skin felt so nice and cool under his fingers.

After a moment, Jasper impatiently tugged his arm out from under Edward's grip.

"Well," he started, "What did you want to say?"

Edward looked up into Jasper's eyes. Were they always that blue? They looked bluer than he remembered. Still beautiful, with those small crinkly laugh lines at the corners.

"You've got such beautiful eyes."

The noise that came out of Jasper's mouth was a cross between a snort and a scoff. His beautiful blue eyes rolled a little bit.

"Thank you. It was good to see you again, Edward. I'm sure we'll be talking soon." Jasper picked up his drink, took a long swallow and set the glass back down on the bar, turning to leave.

Wait. He was leaving? They hadn't even talked yet.

Edward reached out for his arm again.

"No, wait. That wasn't what I meant to say."

Edward could see the muscle working in Jasper's jaw. "Edward, you're drunk."

Now Edward's eyes rolled. "Well, yes. But I'm not blind."

Jasper made that noise again, but didn't speak.

"Do you remember that party?"

"Of course."

"Your meatballs were delicious."

"Um, thanks. I think."

"They were perfect. The most perfect balls I've ever had in my mouth." Edward stared intently at Jasper's mouth, at his full perfect lips. Was Jasper this handsome before? He suspected so, but it was a long time ago. He had a vague idea that he was rambling nonsense, but he felt hot all over and his ears were ringing a little bit and his head was spinning. Maybe all that alcohol on top of cold medicine and severe sleep deprivation hadn't been such a good idea. He needed Jasper to know though. He couldn't let this chance to tell him how sorry he was slip away.

Jasper jerked his arm out of Edward's grip.

"What I remember is you choking on your first bite of something real."

Edward winced. Harsh, but deserved.

"I'm just trying to tell you I've changed. If I had meatballs that delicious now, I wouldn't even think about tasting the fondue. The forks would remain on the table, completely untouched, and I would never dream of dipping them into the pot. It would be meatballs, and meatballs only for me."

He looked up into Jasper's beautiful blue eyes and said with gravitas, "I'm a meatballs only kind of man now."

"Ooookay. Good to know. It's been great catching up, but—"

Jasper made as if to leave again and Edward lunged at him in desperation. The sudden movement put him off balance and he stumbled into Jasper, falling against his chest. Jasper's hands reached out reflexively to steady him and Edward found himself flush against Jasper's body, his face buried in his neck. He felt himself relax, almost boneless against the hard planes of Jasper's chest. That was unexpected. He took a deep breath in surprise. Did Jasper always smell that good? It was so long ago, he couldn't remember, but he thought he probably must have.

"You smell really good," he mumbled against the skin of Jasper's neck. He felt comfortable being held like this. Maybe he'd just rest for a minute. He shut his eyes, relaxing further against the other man.

As he was drifting off, he heard a sound like strangled laughter and Jasper's voice saying with disbelief, "Uh, what are you _doing_, Edward? Are you… are you actually _falling asleep_?"

Edward struggled back to awareness and hoisted himself back upright, stating indignantly, "Of course not. I was just resting."

"Christ," Jasper exclaimed. "Just how much have you had to drink?" His lips were still quirking, trying to hold back a smile.

"Not that much. Well, okay, maybe quite a lot. But I think it's the cold medicine. Because I think I'm coming down with something. And I haven't gotten any sleep for days." He paused, a frown creasing his forehead. "And I think I missed dinner." What in fuck was wrong with him? Jasper was going to think he was a nut case. He told himself sternly to quit talking. To quit talking and shut the hell up.

"I think you should sit down for a minute while I find someone to get you a cab," Jasper suggested.

"Wait. Not yet. I have to tell you something." This was very important. He couldn't leave until he told him.

Jasper's face was still friendly, as if indulging a small child. "Okay, what is it Edward? What's so important that you need to tell me? Do we still need to talk about the fruitcake?"

The fruitcake? What in hell was Jasper going on about?

"No. I need to tell you how sorry I am. I'm very very sorry. Very sorry," he tacked on for good measure.

Jasper's open expression closed immediately and the smile left his face. After a long pause he sighed. "It was a long time ago, Edward. It's in the past."

"I still needed to tell you. I've wanted to tell you for a long time now, but never had the chance."

"Okay, you've told me. Now sit down and I'm going to find someone to make sure you get home. All right?" Jasper was guiding him back to the chair with his jacket draped over it. Edward sunk down gratefully into it.

"All right," he said to Jasper's retreating back. He still had a very nice ass, Edward thought as he watched him walk away. A very nice ass.

Edward's head was pounding when he woke up the following morning. Or rather, afternoon, he thought as he squinted at his alarm clock. Matilda was sitting on the bed, inches from his face and meowed the second his eyes opened.

He groaned, turning onto his back and covering his eyes with his arm, fighting back nausea.

When his roiling stomach settled a bit, he hauled himself to his feet, stumbling to the kitchen to feed his cat. After a large glass of water and some Tylenol, he crawled back into bed, feeling the effects of far too much alcohol and a raging cold.

As he lay there, body aching, head throbbing, bits and pieces of the previous evening began filtering into his consciousness. This time his groan wasn't for his physical condition; no, he was remembering his conversation with Jasper.

About meatballs.

About Jasper's balls in Edward's mouth.

God, could he have possibly been any more inappropriate?

Then he remembered stumbling and practically passing out on Jasper's shoulder.

Yes, yes it turns out he could be more inappropriate.

He grabbed the other pillow on the bed next to him and pulled it over his face, groaning again. That wasn't exactly how he would have wanted his first encounter with Jasper in years to go.

At least he had apologized.

At least he thought he had apologized.

He flung the pillow to the side again and rolled over, burying his face. He'd just have to apologize again. Sober, this time. And add an extra apology for his behavior last night. He'd wanted to show Jasper that he had grown up and gotten his life together, that he was sorry for how he had behaved when they were together. Instead, Jasper had seen Edward drunk and babbling and incoherent. Maybe he could get Jasper's number from Alice and invite him out for coffee for a real apology.

Yes, he decided, that's exactly what he'd do.

Just as soon as he felt a little more human.

* * *

**YG & PP note:** So...who's hungry for some delicious, meaty balls now? If you want another helping of **ArcadianMaggie**'s awesome writing, check out some of awesome one-shots, including **White Blaze to Lone Star** and **If You Can't Be** or her wonderful full length (and complete!) fic, **I Wept Not**. You can find a link to all of ArcadianMaggie's fics in our profile.

Swing back around next week to see what **drizl** does with our boys!


	12. Drizl

_It's Friday, so you know what that means. More BGS! Let's get to it. This week, **Drizl** steps up the plate!_

****

* * *

**_  
_**Jasper was nervous. He knew who was going to be at this party tonight and for some reason it made him anxious. He told himself over and over that he was just a guy. A guy he had fucked and was fucked over by, but he was still just some fucking guy, with the greenest eyes and the sexiest ass...Yes, thinking about this shit made him feel so much better.

Jasper scowled and ripped his shirt off, tossing it on the floor. This was the third time he had changed his clothes. Who the fuck was he trying to impress? He felt like a fucking teenage girl.

He shuffled through more shirts, finally settling on an icy blue shirt that set off his eyes. His inner teenage girl was baring her teeth again, he thought as he buttoned up the shirt and tied his black tie, almost strangling himself as he left his bedroom. He headed straight to his liquor cabinet. If he was going to make it through this evening, he needed something to help him relax. One small drink wouldn't impair his judgement. He grabbed a bottle of bourbon and soda. This would make him quit thinking about men. Well, really only one man, but Jasper didn't like to admit that to himself.

This was supposed to be a party to celebrate and become acquainted with the company whose new building he was going to help design. Knowing that Edward was one of the department heads he would have to deal with, did not ease his mind. Instead of the small soothing drink he had planned, he did two large shots of bourbon with no soda and there was no sipping involved.

It had been five years since the drama of Edward had played out. Edward had desperately attempted to apologize but Jasper shut him out of his life. He even managed to avoid him in his professional life, but now with his company and Edward's entangled in this new building deal, he was going to have to work with the man. It was a party that had brought them together in the first place and now they would meet at a party again.

Tonight Jasper would see how well he could hold things together. Over the years, the pain had lessened and he was able to keep Edward out of his mind.

Most of the time.

He had really believed there was a spark between them but then Edward had slept with his ex, it almost destroyed him. He had been at one of the lowest points of his entire life and to have Edward just disregard him was heartbreaking. Of course, Alice had pointed out rather loudly that he had told Edward they were on a break, so technically, Edward hadn't really cheated just made a bad choice.

Well, fuck that, Jasper felt like he had been betrayed and he was sticking to his guns.

After Edward, Jasper made a conscious choice to stay away from relationships. It had been five years of faceless fucks and forgotten passionless nights, but at least he didn't get hurt anymore. Alice called him a moron and other names that he didn't like to think about. She was his only link to Edward, but she had given up talking about him and Jasper didn't ask questions anymore. It was better that way, easier.

One night after several drinks, Alice had pushed him, asking him all sorts of questions about feelings and shit. She had worn him down, broken him and he almost admitted that he had been falling in love with the guy. He had stopped himself before the words tumbled out, but knowing he felt that way still startled him. Did he know back then just how much he had cared for Edward?

Tonight would be a test and when he saw Edward he would prove to himself that he didn't need anyone in his life. It had been a one time thing and Jasper would be able to walk past him with his head held high, finally putting all this bullshit to bed. It was time to let it all go. He was tired of being angry and Edward had probably moved on and forgotten all about their little stupid fling.

Jasper shook his head and straightened his tie again before heading out the door. Maria would be waiting and if he kept her too long, she would spend the drive chewing him out about work etiquette and the need to always be on time for events. He wasn't up for that shit tonight.

"You look nice," Maria said as he climbed in her car.

Jasper nodded, but kept his mouth tightly shut. He didn't want to talk and Maria picked up on it immediately, quickly turning up the radio to lessen the tension. She was a smart person and he enjoyed Maria's company, but tonight he wasn't up for small talk.

She never pushed him when he got in one of his moods, which made her the perfect business partner and friend. She wasn't nosy and didn't like to pry into his life and he offered her the same courtesy.

Most of the time.

Sometimes she would cluck about his lack of serious relationships, but Jasper would only stare at her and eventually she would huff and drop the subject.

Maria knew about Jasper's sexual preference but she knew nothing about his past with Edward and he wanted to keep it that way. This was strictly business.

They pulled into the parking ramp and Maria parked the car. She eyed him, but said nothing as she climbed out of the car and stood by the front waiting for him. Jasper took a deep breath and reached for the door handle. It was going to be a long fucking night.

The place was filled with people. At first Jasper tried not to look for him. He mingled and talked with several people, but eventually, his eyes started roving the room. There were several nice looking men, but tonight wasn't about the chase or the kill.

"See anything you like," Maria whispered.

Jasper snorted. "Just looking at the people we'll be working with. I'm not prowling, Ma..."

He stopped mid word when that familiar messy copper hair come into his sight line. Jasper had to look away when he felt his entire body flush with excitement or maybe it was dread. It was hard to tell the difference.

"Not prowling huh," Maria said, elbowing him.

Jasper ignored her, glancing back at him.

Edward Cullen.

Jasper let out a small breath he hadn't realized he had been holding when Edward turned. The scruffy jawline, the sculpted cheek bones and those green eyes. Jeezus, Jasper knew the man was hot, but seeing him in person was almost unbearable. Jasper looked closer. Edward's jaw was drawn tight and his face was flushed. His fingers tangled in his hair and he stumbled, sitting down hard. He seemed uncomfortable. Jasper watched as Edward raised a shaking hand to take a gulp of the drink he was holding. Jasper had to fight the unnerving urge to rush over to him and see what was wrong. He told himself to get a fucking grip.

"Jasper, you look like you've seen a ghost," Maria said, startling him. "You okay?"

"Uh, not really," he mumbled. He wasn't okay at all. Seeing Edward had thrown him off his game. It had been five fucking years and he thought he was over the man, but one look at the him, and Jasper almost came undone.

Maria said something else but there was a loud buzzing in his head as he watched Edward. He should have paid attention to Maria because in the next few minutes he found himself being escorted right over to Edward. Introductions were made and Jasper knew it was rude, but he couldn't make his hand reach out to shake Edward's hand. Before Jasper knew what was going on Maria and Edward's boss had disappeared, leaving him alone with Edward.

Edward was nervous and drunk and seemed sick, babbling about things Jasper couldn't even follow. Of course, maybe Edward was making sense, but Jasper was still trying to deal with that buzzing in his ears.

Jasper needed to get away from him before he did something stupid like shut the man up by pressing Edward against the wall and making him swallow his words with a heated kiss. Jasper mumbled something and turned to leave, but Edward lunged at him and grabbed his wrist. Heat shot up his arm and he could barely breathe. He shook loose and tried to bolt across the room but suddenly Edward stumbled and Jasper found himself with an armful of Edward. His cock almost jumped out of his pants when Edward's nose buried in his neck and his lips pressed against Jasper's pulse point. Edward inhaled, whispering how good Jasper smelled.

What the fuck? This was not how Jasper had planned this evening. This was not professional at all. Did he seriously still want the guy and what the hell was Edward doing? For chrissakes, Edward had slept with someone almost the moment Jasper told him they were on a break. Maybe it was just his cock that was interested. Edward was a hot guy and a good fuck. It was probably all physical.

After a strange conversation of listening to Edward babble about balls and how truly sorry he was for everything, Jasper managed to extract Edward from his arms and make him sit down, promising to have someone take care of him.

It was incredibly hard not to notice how adorable Edward was when he was out of control. Not professional thoughts, Jasper reminded himself.

Edward's head lolled forward and his fingers carded through his hair. He looked miserable and Jasper felt sorry for him, but he wasn't his problem.

Jasper stumbled over to Maria who was leaning up against the bar ordering another drink.

"Here," Maria said as she thrust the drink into his face.

He downed it in one gulp and massaged his temples. What the fuck was he supposed to do now? He didn't want to get involved with this. His life was stable now. Well sort of. Okay, it wasn't stable at all. If he needed something, he went out and got it. There were no strings ever, because he didn't trust anyone. He'd had enough of relationships, but when Edward touched him, his body and heart remembered. The heat from Edward's fingers curled around his wrist made him want to shove the man up against the wall and fuck him into tomorrow. But what was more disturbing was the urge to wind his arms around the man and pull him up against his chest.

Jasper's mind was jumping all over the place. The drinks were starting to fog his vision and distort his thought. It wasn't supposed to work out the way it did. It was Jasper who had pushed Edward away, telling him they were on a break. What the hell did he expect? Alice had told him that Edward was insecure about relationships. He'd been in a bad place but Jasper hadn't expected it to happen so quickly or with Edward's ex. The guy was a fucking douche bag and the timing...well, with Peter's death and losing Bella. Jasper couldn't deal with Edward too, so he had shut down.

He groaned.

Maria patted him on the back. "You need to go help him. I'll be fine," she said softly.

"I can't," Jasper whimpered.

"Yeah, you can," Maria said.

"You don't know what you're saying," Jasper whined.

"I'm not asking either. Just go," she said, shoving him back toward Edward.

"I hate you," Jasper muttered.

"Yes dear, I love you too," Maria said.

"Smart ass," he mumbled.

"I know," she said, winking at him. "Just call a cab and make sure he makes it home. Like I said, I don't know the story but I can see that there's one there."

"Fine. I owe you big time or maybe you owe me. I'll let you know what I decide," he said, eyeing her.

She laughed and waved him away.

Jasper made a quick call, securing a cab. Now all he had to do was get Edward out of this place without making a scene.

"Edward," Jasper said. He was either passed out or sleeping. Jasper moved a piece of hair out of Edward's eye. The man felt like he was on fire.

"Jeesh, Edward what did you do to yourself," Jasper muttered.

Edward opened one eye and mumbled something that sounded like meatballs.

"Edward, there's a cab waiting for us. You need to stand up," Jasper said, pulling on Edward's arms.

"You came back," Edward whispered.

"Not really. You're dreaming. Now could you stand up please."

After much maneuvering, Jasper managed to get Edward to his feet. As far as Jasper could tell, only a few people were gawking at them.

Edward leaned against Jasper almost knocking him down. They were about the same height and size so it was difficult to get Edward stabilized. Finally, Maria felt sorry for him and came to help him. Between the two of them they got Edward out to the cab and settled.

"He's not just drunk is he," Maria asked.

"He wasn't feeling well and took some cold medicine mixed with Scotch," Jasper said. "Thanks for helping me. I'll talk to you on Monday."

Maria shook her head, giving Jasper a sly little smile. He hated when she did that. She could see right through him.

"Where to," the cab driver asked.

"Oh fuck. Just a second," Jasper said. He was going to have to dig in Edward's pocket to find his license. With a bit of fancy movements, Jasper soon had his hand in Edward's back pocket, dragging out his wallet. He read the address on the license and tried not to think about how it felt to fondle Edward's ass.

It wasn't a long ride, but Edward keep leaning into him and whispering things that made Jasper sweat.

"Mmmm, you...so hot...want you...please, please...sorry," Edward said.

Jasper was almost positive Edward had no idea what he was saying, who was with him or where he was at the moment.

Jasper paid the cab driver and begged him to hang around, but he said he had another fare. He promised to be back in forty-five minutes. Jasper could live with that, it would probably take at least fifteen minutes to get Edward inside.

"Ok, thanks man," he said to the cab driver.

It only took them ten minutes to get into Edward's place. Five of which Jasper spent flicking through keys before the correct one slid into the slot and the door bounced open.

Jasper got Edward inside and ushered him to the bedroom. There was no way he was going to try to make him use the toilet or brush his teeth. Edward was on his own there. This was difficult enough.

"Are you real," Edward asked, looking at him with unfocused eyes.

"Nope, I told you, this is just a dream," Jasper said as he pushed Edward on the bed.

Jasper had to grit his teeth when he looked at Edward all spread out on the bed. It would be so easy to crawl up his body, licking and sucking on the way to that mouth.

"Best dream ever," Edward sighed. "Jasper."

Fuck, the sound of his name falling from Edward's red lips made his cock twitch. Maybe Edward was more conscious of what was going on. Jasper smacked his forehead because he was not going to molest a drunk, obviously sick man.

Shoving all thoughts of touching and caressing to the side, Jasper shook his head and took Edward's shoes and socks off. Somehow Edward had managed to get his shirt off and was struggling with the button of his pants. Jasper sighed and undid the buttons lowering the zipper and telling Edward to lift his hips up.

"Fuck," Jasper hissed as he pulled Edward's pants down.

The man was half hard and Jasper tried to look away but his curiosity got the better of him. Did Edward still have the piercing? Jasper closed his eyes again and gripped his dick, feeling the metal move as it pressed against the fabric of his underwear. Maybe it was better if he didn't know. He could pull the sheet over Edward and never know.

Oh what the hell. Jasper was in such a deep fucking hole right now he might as well get the shovel and bury himself alive. He opened his eyes, letting them drift down the muscles of Edward's chest, following the trail of hair that disappeared into the waistband of his boxers. And there it was...he could see the piercing clearly outlined under the briefs. Jasper's vision blurred and his entire body went rigid. This was definitely his clue to get the fuck out of there.

Edward groaned and arched his back, pushing his hips into the air. "Want you... please, please. Jasper...please just fuck me."

He was in hell. This had to be hell. No one should be tortured like this. He fucking wanted to run his hands over that bare chest, feel that thick cock as he pumped it and gaze into those green eyes. Jasper sucked in a deep breath, closed his eyes and inhaled, leaning close to Edward's throat. God he smelled so good.

Edward's arms flailed, reaching for him until his fingers brushed against Jasper's hair. He stepped back before Edward could tangle his fingers into the curls.

"No, no...come back,"Edward whimpered, hugging his pillow.

Jasper was almost out the door when he stopped. "Fuck it, Fuck it all to hell," he whispered and swept back into the bedroom, bending down and smashing his lips against Edward's.

The kiss was sloppy and wet. Edward tasted of stale scotch, but it was anything but bad. Jasper's body reacted immediately, his cock swelling, his chest constricting and his skin tingling.

He was so fucked.

He left Edward tossing on the bed, wondering if the man was going to remember anything. Jasper wasn't sure what he wanted.

Thankfully, the cab was waiting for him and in twenty minutes he was stripped down and in his own bed with his laptop turned on. This was so wrong. Jasper should have destroyed these years ago, but every time he tried, he had failed.

When he had cleaned out Peter's house, he had found the unlabeled disks. The first time Jasper popped one into his computer, he almost fell off his chair when the sight of Edward kneeling between his legs sucking his dick filled the screen. He shut it off immediately.

Two days later, he was back at the laptop, staring as Edward licked from base to crown, swirling his tongue through the wetness that dripped from the tip of Jasper's dick. He groped himself twice and came in his fucking shorts.

But tonight he needed more than a blow job. Jeezus, he had turned into a fucking pervert.

Jasper took a deep breath and pushed play. There was no sound, but Jasper didn't need sounds. The pictures spoke volumes. Two wet bodies falling into bed. There had been just enough light in the room to capture the drops of water sliding off screen Edward's naked body. Screen Jasper crawled up Edward until their cocks rubbed together.

This was so wrong, he thought again, but he couldn't stop watching. Besides it wasn't any worse than kissing a barely conscious man. He was making a lot of bad choices tonight. Jasper watched as screen Edward's hand reached down between their legs, wrapping around his cock, stroking him gently.

"Holy fuck," Jasper moaned as he watched himself on the screen. He'd watched this stupid video so many times, but it still managed to reduce him to a blithering fool. Screen Edward was now sitting up, rolling the condom down Jasper's dick.

Jasper pushed the laptop aside and yanked his underwear down, freeing his aching, dripping cock. He'd been half hard for most of the evening, so this wasn't going to take long. His fingers gripped his shaft and his hips arched off the bed when his thumb dragged through his slit. Jasper gasped and glanced at the screen again, watching as his cock disappeared into screen Edward's ass.

He was panting now, stroking his cock hard and fast. His other hand sneaked down and tugged on his balls. He was so close, just like the boys on the screen. He watched as his fingers tangled with Edward's and he pinned Edward's arms above his head. Screen Jasper was snapping his hips, ploughing into the man beneath him who was writhing with pleasure. It only took a few minutes before screen Edward was arching up into him, coming hard.

"Oh fuck," Jasper shouted as he filled his own hand.

Jasper rolled over and grabbed a tissue, wiping his hand and dick off. The two men on the computer screen rolled apart and screen Jasper disposed of the condom while screen Edward came back with a wet cloth and started cleaning up. When they were finished, screen Jasper lay down, bringing Edward with him. Edward ran his hand up Jasper's cheek, cupping it and then tilting his head as he kissed him. Edward's tongue peeked out and slid across Jasper's bottom lip. Edward's hand moved into Jasper's hair, tugging slightly to get him closer. Edward moved away from Jasper's lips, kissing his jaw and then burying his nose in Jasper's neck. Jasper froze the video and stared at screen Jasper's face.

His mouth was half open, eyes almost shut with lashes fluttering against his cheek. Fucking hell, he could almost feel Edward's kiss. Edward's leg was nudged between his and his flaccid cock was laying next to Jasper's. This was more intimate than the actual sex act. Those two men on the screen were worshipping each other. Jasper clicked play again, watching as Edward lifted his head and smiled. Screen Jasper smiled back and closed his eyes. His chest rose when he took a big breath as Edward nuzzled into his neck, murmuring something against screen Jasper's throat. Jasper had no idea what Edward had said.

Jasper sighed and shut the computer down, closing his eyes and trying not to think about the man he had left alone in his bed twenty minutes across town.

* * *

_Drizl A/N...Thank you for asking me to write a chapter. It was an interesting journey and I hope I did the story justice. And I'm outta here...to hide in the closet (with Jasper) ...Xo Drizl _

_Yoga and PP AN: Well, what did y'all think of **Drizl's** chap? Click the button and leave her a comment. You can also check out more of her stuff, like the fab and COMPLETED fic, **When the Night Comes**. The link to her profile is on our page. Next up is **tuesdaymidnight**!_


	13. TuesdayMidnight

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Twilight or any of the characters. I do own an increasing amount of Twilight paraphernalia... that other people buy for me completely unwarranted. (I swear.)

**A/N:** Thanks to PerfectlyPersuasive and YogaGal for inviting me along for the ride and to ArcadianMaggie, coolbreeeze and OnTheTurningAway... for everything else. :)

* * *

Edward couldn't remember the last time he felt this terrible. The scotch had, not surprisingly, done nothing to help out the horrible flu that he had apparently not managed to avoid. He spent the entire weekend as well as Monday tucked in bed, moaning and groaning so much that even Matilda refused to keep him company. It was times like these that he wished he had someone in his life. He didn't need to be pampered or coddled, by any means, but having someone to bring him soup or keep him company while he caught up with _The Young and the Restless_ would have been nice. Instead, he was stuck complaining about how many times Nick and Sharon had broken up and gotten back together to the orchid he kept in his bedroom. The orchid just drooped in response.

In between sleep and soap-watching, he also managed to get some thinking done, and his thoughts more often than not drifted to Jasper. He still couldn't remember much of Friday evening. The last thing he remembered was apologizing and nearly stumbling and burrowing his face in Jasper's neck. Every night he feverishly dreamed of Jasper. The dreams were so vivid, he could almost feel Jasper's hands moving slowly over his body, removing layers of his clothing. Dream Jasper would have him almost naked, but would hesitate before removing his pants. He would look down at Edward and his eyes were always so blue, it startled Edward. Jasper would hover above Edward and then close the distance between them, smashing their lips together. In his dream, Edward would try to grab onto Jasper to keep him there, but his arms wouldn't move. But then Jasper would pull back, take a deep breath and slowly remove the last of his clothes, running his calloused fingertips down Edward's legs, lowering his head down to Edward's eager cock.

And then Edward would awake in a sweat.

He was so sick, he never woke up fully aroused, but each time he had the dream, he did wake up startled. Edward nearly always dreamed in black and white, but he could vividly remember the brilliant blue of Jasper's eyes.

The dreams encouraged Edward's thoughts. Even though he couldn't remember if Jasper had even seemed interested in accepting his apology on Friday, there was still something between them. He could feel it.

In his more lucid moments, after chastising himself repeatedly for getting so drunk, he could remember the beginnings of a smile on Jasper's face and the spark he felt every time he touched Jasper. Yes, at first Jasper seemed to want nothing to do with him, but Edward still felt a glimmer of hope deep down in his gut that his connection to Jasper was still not completely severed.

Trying to convince Jasper that he was a changed man, that he had grown up, well, it wasn't going to be easy, and he was definitely going to need Alice to do it.

He had to approach it right, though. After thinking about it some more, he realized that he couldn't just ask her for Jasper's number. If he did, there was no way she would give it to him. The fact that Alice was still willing to be friends with him after what he did had been sort of astounding at first. It was Edward who had completely messed up, and, especially in the beginning after their fallout, he knew that her loyalty was more to Jasper. Alice never liked Garrett, even though the two had only met once or twice. Both times were by complete accident and Garrett always pretended to be "just a friend," but Alice confessed that she could tell there was more going on. Over the course of a few lunch dates, she managed to get the whole story out of Edward: how Garrett had been hiding his sexuality, how he made Edward feel like a dirty secret, how he belittled Edward's feelings and made him feel like that's what he deserved. She was extraordinarily understanding about the whole thing after that, and she was really the catalyst for Edward's finally starting to get over his past. Nevertheless, Jasper always remained a taboo topic between them.

Edward finally started to feel more human on Tuesday, and knowing it was his last day off, he decided it was time to give Alice a call and just hope that she would hear him out.

"Edward! I feel like it's been ages!" Alice said as soon as she answered her phone.

"I know, I know. Work has been kicking my butt."

"Well of course it has, you big time ad exec, you. I'm going to have to start calling you Don Draper," she teased.

"I don't exactly have his sexual prowess," Edward replied with a snort.

"Okay, fine. The gay Don Draper."

"Alice, my right hand is the most action I've gotten in months," Edward confessed. Though, Alice was kept in the know about Edward's love life, so it probably wasn't news to her anyway.

"I thought you were left-handed," Alice replied with a giggle.

"I'm ambidextrous when I jerk off."

"Too much information!" Alice shrieked. "Anyway, why are you calling me in the middle of a Tuesday morning? This must be business."

Alice still worked at the old design firm. Despite the bad economy, they were doing well for themselves and had been growing steadily. It had actually been a tough decision for Edward to leave, but the promise of higher pay and a chance for upward mobility in the company wasn't something he could pass up. As much as Edward wanted to be a designer, he was actually always more fond of the marketing side of things. He often missed his old colleagues, though, and the casual atmosphere that could only be found in a small firm. Though his company had their own design department, at times their load became too heavy and they outsourced some of their work to Edward's old place of employment.

"Actually, I've been bed-ridden all weekend," Edward responded. "The flu has been going around the office and it finally caught me."

"Oh no! How are you feeling?"

"Groggy, but better. I don't think I've slept as much these last three days than in the last three weeks combined."

"You should have called me! Do you need anything?"

Edward could almost picture Alice's petulant stare.

"I'm doing a lot better, though I appreciated the offer." Edward took a deep breath, trying to ease the conversation in the direction he wanted. "Actually, I think I needed to be alone. I've been doing some thinking."

"This sounds serious," Alice said warily.

Edward decided that it would just be best to go for broke. The only bad thing that could happen would be for Alice to say that Edward didn't deserve Jasper, that he should quit trying and just get over him. Or worse, that Jasper was happily in a relationship. Edward didn't want to think about that possibility.

"I saw Jasper Friday night."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"Alice?" Edward asked tentatively.

"I know," Alice said softly.

"How do you know?" Edward asked, incredulously.

"How do you think?" Alice replied quickly.

"Oh," was all Edward could manage to say.

Edward was dumbfounded. That meant that Jasper had been talking to Alice about him. Wait. That meant Jasper had been talking about him. Good or bad, that still meant that Jasper was affected by him in some way. Edward tried to see the positive side of Alice's statement.

"I won't ask for any details, Alice. It's absolutely none of my business what you and Jasper talk about." A thrill shot through Edward at saying Jasper's name so casually, but he needed to get out what he wanted to say. "I made a complete fool of myself, I think. I was drinking scotch after taking some cold medicine. I was a complete mess. The only things I can remember from that night are how he smelled and the way I felt a spark shoot through my body when I touched him. I miss him."

Alice was slow to respond, but eventually she spoke. "I know we've stayed away from talking about this, and I've tried hard to be Team Switzerland, but I've seen you change over the last few years. You're much more confident in yourself and a lot more mature. You're actually capable of being a good boyfriend. I know that you and Jake weren't compatible in the end, but the two of you were comfortable and relaxed around each other. It was nice to finally see you that way. But all that said, I still don't know if Jasper will be able to forgive you. It took you five years to apologize to him while you were drunk off your ass at a business party."

Edward winced. Even his therapist had told him that he wouldn't get closure until he gave Jasper a sincere, thoughtful apology. He had attempted to talk to Jasper in the wake of getting caught, but Jasper was just so angry - justifiably so - that Edward had accepted the end of their relationship without a fight. Even though he was strong enough now to have the conversation with Jasper and accept responsibility for his actions, he had never tried. He didn't want closure. It felt too much like an end.

"I have to try, Alice. I'll leave it all up to him whether or not he wants to give me a chance. But I want give him the option. I need to know Alice. It's been five years and when I picture my future, he's still the man who pops into my head."

"Why are you telling me this?" Alice sighed, resigned, as if she didn't know.

"I need your help."

Alice didn't reply immediately, but this time Edward heard muffled voices in the background. After a few moments, Alice spoke.

"I have to get back to work. Are you up for dinner tonight?"

"You're the best," Edward replied.

"I'll pick you up at 6."

After being cooped up for nearly four days, Edward was looking forward to getting out of the house. Dreading the idea of anyone, especially Alice, seeing him in his rumpled pajamas, unshowered and unshaven, he decided that he should probably get cleaned up.

Just like every time before, when he opened his shampoo, thoughts of Jasper filled his head. He knew it was pathetic and sappy, but ever since their split, he had been using the same citrus mint shampoo that Jasper used. The smell was relaxing and familiar to Edward at this point, but he had a brief moment of panic at the idea of Jasper finding out that he still used his shampoo.

_Reel yourself back, Edward_. He laughed at himself. It wasn't like Jasper had any desire to even speak to Edward again, let alone find out what he used in the shower.

Edward lathered and rinsed, and then just stood under the hot spray. His muscles were achy from being in bed for so long; the pounding droplets were a welcome relief. In minutes he was feeling more human. As he conditioned his hair, he let himself have another deep inhale of the familiar scent. He thought about burying his nose in Jasper's hair as they lay twisted with each other in bed.

Remembering the way Jasper's body felt against him was enough to make him hard. He hadn't felt even remotely like jerking off since he got sick, but he was certainly ready for it now. He thought about the way Jasper's cock looked after it had been pierced. The silver barbell on the underside of his dick was just begging to be taken into Edward's teeth and tugged on. He had never taken out his own frenum piercing, and the few men he had been with since seemed to enjoy it. Edward had been thinking about getting a ladder done for years.

As he rubbed his soap, also citrus, across his still slightly clammy skin, he let his imagination drift. He thought about the way Jasper's pierced dick would feel while rubbing against the crack of his ass.

Edward groaned loudly and gathered some of the soapy lather. He started pumping his cock in his hand. He squeezed it tighter on every upstroke, feeling the metal barbell in his hand, setting his nerves into a frenzy.

He thought about Jasper pushing him against the wall of the shower, pressing his own wet body against Edward. Jasper would then step away and run his hands down Edward's back, stopping to tease his hole with his fingers.

Edward slowed his hand on his cock, worried that he would come too soon. He used his left hand to do what he wanted Jasper to be doing, rubbing his first finger against his sensitive opening. He moaned Jasper's name loudly when he breached it.

His eyes snapped open when he heard a loud clattering noise in the bathroom. Spinning around quickly, he yanked open the shower curtain. His heart was pounding at the thought of being caught moaning Jasper's name, though rationally he knew no one could get into his house.

No one, of course, except the brown tabby cat that was sitting sheepishly on Edward's counter, pretending as though Edward's hand soap dispenser was always rolling on the floor.

"Matilda!" Edward shouted. "You scared me half to death."

Matilda blinked.

Edward rolled his eyes and pulled the curtain back, getting his heart rate under control. Edward looked down at his deflating dick. He refused to let his cat cock-block him from what was a satisfying wank.

He took another, slightly pathetic, whiff of his shampoo and then grabbed his cock again.

He thought about Jasper bending him forward, grabbing his ass in his hands and squeezing before pushing his cheeks apart so his fingers had more room.

Edward brought his own finger back and pushed it inside his hole. He pumped in and out, imagining Jasper's hot breath ghosting against his neck while he got him ready. His hand on his dick sped up as he added a second finger, only he imagined that this time it was Jasper's hard cock pushing inside him. He could almost feel the hard, metal balls rubbing against the inside of his channel as Jasper filled him.

Edward pushed his fingers in harder and deeper, while he thought about Jasper grabbing onto his hips, digging his fingers in to keep them steady.

_Touch yourself_, Jasper would whisper in his ear.

So Edward sped up his right hand.

He spread his legs wider, as he fucked himself with his left hand, managing to brush against his prostate.

"Oh god," he groaned as his balls tightened, signaling his pending release.

He got his left hand to match the rhythm of his right.

"Fuck me," he cried out to the imaginary Jasper, and then he was coming hard all over the tile.

The hot water washed over him, calming him down as he shook through his orgasm. He stood under the spray until it started to grow tepid, then climbed out and wrapped a towel around his waist. He dried off and got dressed quickly. He had spent so long in the shower, it was a lot closer to six than he thought and he wanted to straighten up his house before Alice got there.

He managed to start a load of laundry and clean up all his dirty dishes before he heard his doorbell ring.

He swung open the door and Alice bounded across the threshold, giving Edward a hug.

"Where's Tilly?"

"Her name's Matilda," Edward said with a scowl. He hated the nickname Alice had given his beloved pet. "And she's probably sitting in a basket of my clean laundry as we speak."

Alice laughed. "Well then, I won't interrupt her. Anyway, I'm starving."

"Wait!" Edward exclaimed. "There's something I wanted to show you."

Ever since he bought his house two years ago, he been slowly trying to decorate it. Alice always tried to help, but Edward wanted to do it on his own. Even with his design sense, he just wasn't quite sure of his style when it came to home furnishings. He was rather proud of the print he had just purchased.

He led Alice into the small study just off his living room.

"Oh!" Alice gasped as soon as she entered the room. "Is that an Adam5100?"

Edward just grinned and nodded. Adam5100 was a favorite artist of his, very innovative, who had shows throughout California. Edward had been in San Francisco earlier in the fall and found some of his work in a small gallery. It was too good to pass up.

"I love it!" Alice squealed. "I'm so jealous!"

They discussed the piece awhile longer before Alice's growling stomach interrupted them. Edward wasn't up for a big meal, so he and Alice went to a small cafe not far from his house.

They chatted for a while about work and all the office gossip that Alice had about Edward's old co-workers. The buzz around the office in the wake of Ben's proposal to Angela was that it was Angela's pregnancy that sparked him into action.

"Well, it was inevitable anyway," Alice said. "It took them two years of sneaking off to the supply closet until they finally admitted they were dating. It was damn time he made an honest woman out of her!"

They finished their meal and ordered some tea, along with a cupcake for Alice, before Alice finally cleared her throat and folded her arms across her chest.

"Now, as great as it's been to catch up, we both know why we're here, so let's get down to business. Why do think you even remotely deserve a second chance? And don't give me the 'we were on a break' crap. I know I've joked about it, but even though he said he needed space, you and I both know that Jasper never _felt_ like you were on a break, and I don't for a second think you did either. So why this? Why now?"

"Honestly?" Edward asked, biting his lip.

"Yes."

"I love him," he replied quietly. He had years to think about why he acted the way he did, not to mention an ungodly amount on therapy, he just hoped he could explain it to Alice. "I never stopped loving him. It just- it happened so fast. It was like being caught up in a whirlwind in the best possible way, but then there was Peter and Bella and it was just too much, too fast. His life was crazy. There just wasn't a place for me in it, but I wanted there to be a place for me. I never stopped wanting there to be a reason for him to have me in his life, but I didn't fit. That doesn't justify what I did at all, I know, because I only gave him a reason why I didn't belong with him."

Alice reached across the table and grabbed Edward's hand, as if knowing that he had more to say.

"I've never fit in. I've always been on the outside looking in. I was always sort of an awkward kid. I was the gangly teenager who didn't quite have hand-eye coordination down. Being the art dork in high school and then coming out of the closet? It was rough. I got my fair share of teasing and slurs, and even though it got better in college, I guess I always hung onto the idea that I was always going to be the freak that no one wanted."

"Edward," Alice started. "You're so much more than that."

The waitress returned with their tea, so Edward collected himself by stirring in some sugar.

"It took me a long time to see that. I mean, you know that Garrett just confirmed all my insecurities. He- he took my power away from me, and it's taken me years to come to terms with it. I had to stop seeing myself as a victim, or else the bullshit that Garrett brought with him was always going to follow me around." Edward took a sip of his tea. "I'm so much stronger now, Alice. I'm so much closer to being the man I want to be. The man who can be supportive when his partner needs it."

Alice's eyes were watery as she looked up at Edward.

"Okay, I'll help."

Edward's face lit up, "You will?"

"Yes. I'm so proud of you, Edward. I still have some reservations about it working after all this time, and I won't do just anything. You don't have any idea the consequences your stupid choice has had on Jasper, but I do think he should hear what you just told me. It sounds like you've gained a lot of perspective."

"Trust me, I know myself a lot more than I ever thought I could."

Alice smiled thoughtfully, and then took a bite of her cupcake, moaning softly as she tasted the dessert.

"This is so good. You have to try it."

Edward took a bite and had to agree, reaching his fork out for another bite.

Alice slapped his hand away.

"You're still sick, that fork is coming nowhere near my cupcake!"

Edward started snickering.

"What's so funny?" Alice asked.

"Nothing," Edward gasped, trying to rein in his laughter. "Trust me, I have no interest in getting near your cupcake."

"Pervert!" Alice gasped, before giving Edward a hard glare. "Don't make me reconsider helping you."

Edward put his hands up in surrender and then made a motion as if zipping his lips.

Alice narrowed her eyes, but nodded. "That's better. Now, do you have any ideas?"

"I'm pretty sure he won't take my phone calls," Edward said sadly.

"No, I don't think that's the right approach either," Alice replied. "It's too impersonal."

"I could bombard his office with flowers."

"You know Jasper has a pollen allergy, right?"

Edward didn't know that. In fact, he realized that he didn't really know Jasper very well at all. They weren't together for that long, and most of what Edward remembered was the spark of connection between them, not the little details.

"Singing telegram?" Edward suggested.

"I hope you're kidding."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, drinking their tea while Alice finished the cupcake, making a show of picking up the remaining crumbs with her fingers and eating every last morsel.

"I think maybe I should send him a gift of some kind. Something more personal than flowers or candy. Not just to let him know that I'm still thinking about him, but that I still think he's special."

"That's a great idea! What do you have in mind?"

"I don't know," Edward said, defeated.

"Well, if you want it to be thoughtful, then you're going to have to think about it. Maybe after a gift or two you can give something like concert tickets, and give him the option of asking you."

"You're just hoping that he'll ask you instead," Edward teased.

Alice smirked in response.

"Now, you promise you'll help me get the gift to him? So that he doesn't immediately throw it in the trash?"

"Yes, I promise," Alice said, holding up three fingers. "Scout's honor."

The two friends plotted a little while longer as they finished their tea. When Alice dropped Edward off back home, there was a decided spring in his step. He felt lighter than he had in months, maybe even years. He didn't know the last time he felt so optimistic.

It was time to commence "Operation: Get Jasper Back."

* * *

**A/N:** You know me, I couldn't help but give Edward a nice wank. ;) And now I leave this in the very capable hands of mrsyt31.

**Yoga & PP note:** Thanks so much to **TuesdayMidnight** for contributing to this collab. If you haven't read her sinfully delicious fic **_Raw & Rosy_**, what are you waiting for? Go read now and enjoy a little spank!fic. You can find a link to TuesdayMidnight on our profile. Joining us next week, we'll get to see what **mrsyt31** does with our boys! See you then!


	14. mrsyt31

Between his bout with the flu and the office's yearly shutdown between Christmas and New Year's, it was well in to January before Edward had occasion to see Jasper again. He had spent most of his holiday trying to make merry with his family, but simply could not tear his thoughts away from his hope to win Jasper back. He still had no real plan in place, and the knowledge that Jasper would soon be setting up his temporary work space in Edward's building left his nerves on edge with anticipation.

After an awkward run in on Monday where Edward choked on his coffee and had to leave at lunch for a new shirt, Jasper had managed to elude him all week. Once again he was reminded of their first meeting, and Edward resolved that whatever happened, he could not move forward with his own life until he had tried to make amends with Jasper. This was how Edward ended up pacing outside Jasper's new office on a Friday afternoon carrying a small lunch cooler in one hand, and an invitation to an upcoming gallery opening in his back pocket.

"I know you're out there Edward," Jasper called from inside the small room. "Quit pacing and come tell me what I can do for you."

Embarrassment heated Edward's cheeks as he entered Jasper's office. He was only slightly relieved to see that the man was on the phone, giving him a few moments reprieve. Jasper waved him in as he continued his telephone conversation. "I know sweetheart; I've missed you too. I can't wait to see you tonight...It doesn't matter to me; whatever you'd like...Okay...I'll pick you up around five o'clock...I love you, too. Bye."

Edward's heart sank with every word. Alice had assured him that Jasper wasn't seeing anyone, but what if she had been wrong? No, he thought. Alice and Jasper were close, so she would definitely know the man's relationship status. He also knew better than to think that Alice would deliberately mislead him. Still, he was curious as to who Jasper would be speaking so intimately with, and that was almost enough to override the nervousness he felt about the request he was soon to make.

"So Edward, you needed something?" Jasper asked with an air of nonchalance.

Scrambling for an excuse, Edward thrust the cooler at Jasper and muttered, "Lunch. I mean, I thought you might be hungry, and ever since I had the flu last month, my mother insists on bringing me a week's worth of meals every Sunday." He was horrified at the verbal diarrhea pouring from his mouth."Anyway, it's too much food for one person, and I can't possibly justify throwing it away, so I thought I would share."

Jasper just stared at him blankly for a moment before opening his mouth to speak. "You've been pacing outside my office because you wanted to share your lunch with me?" Edward nodded furiously as the other man released a nervous chuckle.

Still clutching his lunchbox, Edward rose as if to leave. "I can see you're busy. This was probably a bad idea. I think I should go." He nearly made it to the door before Jasper called him back.

"Wait, Edward. I think I can make time for lunch if you really want to share."

Taking a deep breath, Edward turned back and sat across from Jasper once more.

"Sorry for interrupting your phone call," he said, opening the small cooler and producing two bottles of perfectly chilled iced tea. "Big plans for the weekend?" As soon as the words had left his mouth he wished he could take them back. He knew that Jasper would not be comfortable sharing too much personal information with him just yet.

"I'm sorry," he said again. "None of my business."

"It's really all right, Edward. We're going to be working together for the next few months, and things will be easier if we don't always feel like we have to walk on eggshells around each other." Jasper's tight smile did nothing to ease Edward's fear that they would never be comfortable together again, and he felt dismayed by the prospect.

"So, did you really just come to offer me sustenance?" Jasper asked, unconsciously throwing Edward a lifeline.

Hovering between encouraged and discouraged, Edward decided to just lay all his cards on the table. "Well, that's part of it," he offered. "I had lunch with Alice a couple of weeks ago, and I was showing her the adam5100 that I recently purchased. She reminded me that you were particularly fond of his work as well."

"I am," Jasper said with a suspicious grin. "I bought one of his pieces last year. I love the way he takes something you might see anywhere and makes it look completely abstract. Which piece did you buy?"

"Ockham's Razor; I've wanted it for ages. I went to an exhibit in San Francisco last year and was blown away by all of his work. The friend I was travelling with spent the next couple of months trying to convince me to just buy it already." Edward smiled at the memory of Jake and their one and only vacation as a couple, thankful that they had been able to remain friends after their break-up. "Anyway, when I was promoted to head of my department I decided to splurge and bought it."

"I would love to see one of his exhibits. I was in Palo Alto a couple of years back and missed one by a couple of weeks." Edward perked up as Jasper spoke, his hope renewed that his plan might be successful.

"Well," he began. "As luck would have it, one of the local galleries is going to be showing his work throughout February. I received an invitation to the opening next week..." Edward faltered as uncertainty washed over him once more, and he remembered the conversation he had overheard earlier. "You should go, you know," he said, waving his hand around in the direction of the phone. "I mean, you could come as my guest if you wanted. Or you could take someone else; your boyfriend or maybe the friend you were just chatting on the phone with. I'm sure you'll love it."

"My boyfriend? Not that it matters, Edward, but I don't have a boyfriend," Jasper proclaimed as Edward started to unpack sandwiches and chips from the lunch cooler. "But you're right that Bella might enjoy something like that."

Laying a sandwich and paper plate in front of Jasper, Edward replied,"Oh! Of course you were talking with Bella! I just assumed..."

"You shouldn't make assumptions Edward," Jasper snapped. "I would have thought you had learned that lesson by now." Edward could feel heat rising in his cheeks again at what Jasper was implying, and wondered how he might turn the conversation back to something more pleasant. Unfortunately, it looked like he would have to address the elephant in the room before he was ready.

"I was hoping to avoid the topic of our break-up until you were ready to hear my sincere apology," Edward responded frankly. "Although, I'm not sure I can ever convey how sorry I am. Alice has scolded me repeatedly over the years for using what she calls 'Ross Logic' to explain my behavior. I'm still not even sure what that's supposed to mean."

"Really?" Jasper asked sarcastically as he bit in to his sandwich. "'Ross Logic'? Friends? How can you not get that, Edward?"

"I get the reference, Jasper," he retorted. "I simply meant that comparing what happened between us to a tv show makes no sense. This situation was entirely different."

"If you say so," Jasper muttered.

Edward sighed in defeat. "Look, I just wanted to apologize to you and share some lunch; maybe invite you to be my guest at the opening next week. I didn't mean to offend you or upset you." He knew he might be pushing Jasper, but he could not help himself. If he was going to make a fool of himself in front of this man, he was going to do it all the way.

"You didn't offend me, Edward. I just don't really like to be reminded of what was, for various reasons, a very difficult time in my life." Jasper quickly changed the subject and attacked his meal enthusiastically. "What's on this turkey sandwich? It's delicious!"

"I think they're holiday leftovers from Esme's freezer. Like I said, she makes enough food for an army, and there's only so much a person can eat at one time." Exasperated by Jasper's attempted distraction, Edward took a deep breath before resuming their conversation. "Do you want to go with me?"

"Wait, are you telling me that you brought me a 'moist-maker' for lunch?" Jasper laughed out loud for some reason that Edward could not fathom, but managed to regain his composure fairly quickly. "I sense a recurring theme here, Edward."

"Ha, ha. You didn't answer my question. Do you want to go to the opening of the adam5100 exhibit next week?"

"What do you want, Edward?" Jasper asked seriously, his eyes meeting Edward's in a heated gaze.

"I just told you; I want to know if you'll be my guest for the opening." Edward was beginning to wonder if they were carrying on two entirely separate conversations, because clearly, Jasper had not been listening to him at all.

"I get that, Edward," Jasper responded with a huff. "But I'm asking, in all seriousness, what is it that you want from me?"

Edward's mind was flooded with a million thoughts. I want to relearn every inch of your body. I want to taste you, feel the warm weight of your cock in my mouth. I want to feel you deep inside of me, moving slowly at first, then hard and fast till we're both gasping for air.

"I...I want..." Long lazy weekends wrapped in each other's arms...

"I just..." walking on the beach, hand in hand, smiling as we share our most private thoughts...

"I want..." a house in the suburbs, white picket fences; family, holidays, love, laughter...forever.

Edward shook his head to try and clear the vision from his mind. Yes, he wanted all of those things, and maybe they could have them someday. But for now, Edward knew Jasper barely trusted him enough to accept his offered lunch, let alone the promise of forever. He also knew that he could never knowingly walk away from this beautiful, amazing, infuriatingly wonderful man again without risking his own heart.

"I just want a chance to get to know you again, Jasper. I...I know I destroyed what we had all those years ago, but I'm a different man now. I've worked very hard to be the kind of man who might be good enough to call you a friend. Please? I want us to know each other, not for our past mistakes, but for who we are now."

The room was quiet as Jasper met Edward's gaze. It seemed a long stretch of time as they faced off, almost in challenge as to who would give up first. For once, Edward did not run away.

"Okay," Jasper whispered in answer. "I'll go to the opening with you, but I'm not promising anything, Edward."

Smiling, Edward replied, "I understand, and I don't want to push you. Just...thank you. It means more than you'll ever know."

Jasper wrinkled his nose as if trying to repress a grin. "Thanks for lunch. This is seriously the best 'moist-maker' ever."

* * *

**mrsyt31 A/N:** Huge shout out to naelany & ArcadianMaggie for their mad beta skills, and many thanks and smooshes to PerfectlyPersuasive & Yogagal for inviting me to take part in this adventure! It's been a lot of fun!

Thanks for reading!

* * *

_Yoga and PP AN: Hope you guys enjoyed **mrsyt31'**s chapter! Leave her some love an let her know. We're still chuckling over the moist-maker here! Check out her profile for__ more of mrsyt31's fabulous fics, like her one shots **Heart's Desire** or **From This Day Forward**, You can find her in our favs! Next week,** MizzHyde** is up and we can't wait to se what sh oes with our boys! _


	15. MizzHyde

**A/N**: More thanks owed than in an Oscar speech – to YogaGal and PerfectlyPersuasive for inviting me to join this crazy ride, to livinginadw for putting up with me blithering on about this for weeks, to HoochieMomma and EvilGraffe82 for beta and editing services above and beyond the call and to Bbebar for making me realize my US spelling issues.

* * *

Edward fidgeted uncomfortably in the foyer, waiting for Jasper to arrive. As this wasn't a date - they had both been quite clear about that - they had agreed to meet at the gallery. They were just two old friends, getting together over a mutual admiration of the artist.

Absolutely.

Edward had arrived early, unable to sit around in his apartment any longer. Now he was paying the price, unable to relax, and wishing he'd had a drink before he came out. But then again, given his last performance with alcohol around Jasper, maybe that wouldn't have been the greatest idea.

Jasper was, in fact, sitting in his car, parked just down the street. He had very nearly taken a rain check, coming up with a dozen excuses for not going to the show that ranged from plausible to downright insane. He was completely torn - wanting to spend some time with Edward, doing what he had agreed, getting to know him again, but also wishing he could just never see him again. He had gotten his head straightened out over the last five years; he was independent, self-sufficient. He had great friends, his family, his daughter – he didn't need a partner, or boyfriend, or whatever you want to call it. He'd tried that - twice - and it obviously wasn't worth it. But being around Edward every day blurred the lines, challenged his certainty. He probably shouldn't have agreed to this "non-date". But here he was, sitting in his car, knowing he would go anyway.

He had obviously taken precautions. He had realized over the past few months that close proximity to Edward over a even a short period of time had a very predictable effect on his body. His brain might be committed to keeping his distance, but his dick tended to try to get as close as possible, usually attempting a direct route through his pants. To counteract the distinct possibility of this happening tonight, he had taken care to relieve that particular ache before coming out. He had put the videos of himself and Edward in a locked drawer some weeks earlier, reasoning with himself that it was not at all healthy to be regularly wanking over pictures of someone he saw every day at work. Unfortunately, the images were now so permanently imprinted on his retinas that he didn't actually need to be watching it to see it clearly in his mind. And somehow, every time he did, uh, take himself in hand, it was always thoughts of Edward's mouth wrapped round his cock that got him there the fastest.

Tonight would be the first time he had spent time outside work with Edward and the last thing he needed was a wayward boner making things uncomfortable, in more ways than one. Having satisfied himself that all was under control and unable to delay any longer without being rudely late, so Jasper dragged himself out of the car and headed towards the gallery. As he pushed the door open, he saw Edward standing to one side, looking distracted and nervous, his hair pulled in all different directions.

He realized almost instantly that jerking off directly before seeing Edward was actually a really, really dumb idea.

Seeing him in jeans rather than smarter work clothes jolted Jasper into old memories; he looked more like his old Edward. He remembered tugging on those belt loops, feeling the denim resisting and clinging as he dragged them down. His eyes drifted to Edward's lips, the way he was sucking the lower one between his teeth, his tongue darting out to moisten them. Jasper groaned inwardly as his treasonous cock twitched, grainy images of that mouth instantly replaying in his head.

Edward was unaware that Jasper had arrived, and was still peering through the windows, trying to see past the reflections of the internal lights. He was startled to hear Jasper's voice behind him, not quite sure how he had slipped past his surveillance. He had been horribly afraid that Jasper would call to cancel at the last minute, or even simply not show at all. Relief flooded through him as Jasper returned his nervous smile. They shook hands somewhat formally, exchanging stilted pleasantries as they headed in to the gallery.

The gallery consisted of a series of interconnected rooms, each displaying only one or two of the huge canvases, allowing plenty of room to stand back to view their full effect. Each work was hung in its own pool of light, but somehow the spaces in between didn't seem dark or shadowy. Jasper and Edward circulated slowly from one picture to the next, sometimes standing close together as they admired a particular picture, sometimes wandering further apart.

Jasper found himself relaxing slightly; maybe this was a good idea after all. They both knew the art well enough to be able to talk about it, so they could keep a conversation going without having to try too hard, or stumble on to awkward topics. As long as he kept looking at the art and not at Edward, he was fine. He risked a longer glance one time when Edward's back was turned; he almost convinced himself he was stepping back to get a better view of a particularly large canvas, until he realized he was staring blatantly at Edward's ass in those damn jeans instead. After that, eyes strictly forward - much easier to cope.

Edward, on the other hand, was struggling. He knew a lot rested on this evening. He needed to show Jasper that he was someone he could spend time with, which meant resisting the constant urge to touch him. When they had been together before, it would have been unthinkable to spend this much time near each other without a simple caress or squeeze of the arm punctuating all their interactions. But in the end, it just meant too much too him. He couldn't screw this up, so he adjusted the semi he constantly sported when he was near Jasper and focused on talking to the man he was coming to realize he had never stopped loving.

After an hour, they had made a single circuit of the show and were circling back to look at their favorite pieces again. A young man approached them as they headed back to the center of the room.

"Good evening, gentlemen," he said, addressing both of them, but looking straight at Jasper. "Welcome to our space. You are enjoying the show, I trust?"

Edward saw Jasper's eyes widen as he took in the appearance of the man before them. He wasn't quite as tall as Edward, slim and pale with light brown hair spiked up off his face. His eyes were dark chocolate, dancing with mischief as he gazed at Jasper through long, thick lashes. But it was the dark-haired man's mouth that mesmerized both Edward and Jasper - full, pink lips curved into a cheeky smile, that indicated he knew exactly what effect he was having.

"My name is Riley, I'm the curator here," the young man went on, holding out his hand as he introduced himself. He shook Jasper's hand firmly, placing his other hand on Jasper's shoulder and guiding him towards the nearest work, before belatedly releasing him to give Edward a perfunctory clasp of the fingers. He turned immediately back to Jasper. "Are you familiar with the artist?"

Jasper felt slightly dazed by Riley's approach, but he recovered quickly and fell into a discussion about the art. Riley hadn't taken his hand from his shoulder, which should probably have made him feel uncomfortable but was actually very pleasant. Jasper hadn't noticed that Edward hadn't spoken a word since Riley had approached them until he excused himself rather abruptly to the restroom.

"Is he your boyfriend?" asked Riley, nodding at Edward's retreating back.

Jasper laughed at his directness. It was impossible not to like this crazy boy, although he did feel rather bad for Edward at having allowed himself to be monopolized.

"No, he's not my boyfriend," he chuckled. "What makes you think I would have a boyfriend?"

"Well, why wouldn't you? You're all kinds of hot, and the good ones are always taken," Riley sighed, melodramatically. "Admit it, you do have a boyfriend, right?"

"I might have a girlfriend," whispered Jasper, enjoying the moment of shock on Riley's face, before he worked out he was being teased.

"You are very naughty," Riley accused him, the pressure of his hand increasing fractionally, "I think you should come out for a drink with me later to make it up to me."

Jasper didn't recognize the feelings bubbling up inside him. This was perfect, in fact, exactly what he needed - a sexy young man, offering him what was surely more than a quiet drink at the end of the evening. He could work all the frustration and confusion out of his system and reset all the questions that Edward's re-appearance in his life had caused.

So why did it feel wrong? Why did he want to hide it from Edward? It should be such a simple thing, to give Riley his number and hook up with him after the show.

He glanced over Riley's shoulder, seeing Edward emerging from the restroom. Their eyes met, and Jasper found he had to look away. This was ridiculous; he couldn't believe he was actually considering it.

"Thanks, but I don't date," he said to Riley, shaking his head.

"It doesn't have to be a date," Riley grinned at him, totally unfazed by the rejection. "If you change your mind, you know where to find me. We close at ten tonight."

He trailed a finger down Jasper's arm as he sauntered away to talk to some other guests. Edward walked slowly towards Jasper, having witnessed the entire exchange. He was stupidly jealous, and had to force himself to breathe evenly and calm down before he reached Jasper.

"Did you get his number?" he asked, trying hard to keep his voice light.

"No, God, Edward, I'm sorry..." Jasper started, but Edward cut him off.

"It's okay, really," he said. "I mean, it's none of my business, right?"

They stood awkwardly next to each other for a few moments, neither able to look the other in the eye. Jasper felt guilty, and then angry with himself for feeling guilty, when he had done nothing wrong. Edward was also irritated with his own reaction, but had no idea how to recover.

"So, did you want to go back and look at the Lillihammer canvas again?" asked Jasper, his voice somewhat strained.

"Yeah, definitely," replied Edward, grateful to get back on safe ground.

They spent another half an hour looking at the pictures but the relaxed atmosphere between them had gone. Edward was finding it harder and harder to keep his distance, wanting to somehow re-assert his claim on Jasper after the incident with the curator. But Jasper was aloof and spoke very little, barely meeting Edward's eyes for the rest of the evening. They said their goodbyes stiffly in the foyer, much as they had begun the evening. There were mumbled agreements to see each other at work soon, before they departed in opposite directions.

~oOoOoOo~

Jasper walked slowly back to his car, reflecting on the evening. The whole situation was just so... awkward. They both knew that this wasn't about just learning to be friends again, and he was sure now that Edward was hoping for some kind of reconciliation. The urge to launch himself into Edward's arms was almost overwhelming; but he just couldn't take the risk. Not after working so hard to build his life without needing someone else in it. He wasn't sure if spending time with Edward like this was a good idea; just a couple of hours had left him horny and desperate to just be held close by him.

He was lost in these conflicting thoughts when he heard footsteps approaching behind him. He turned defensively, not quite close enough to his car to jump into it to avoid whoever was approaching at speed, but relaxed when he saw that it was Riley, waving at him as he quickly caught up.

"I thought it was you," he said, slowing to a stop, level with Jasper. "I was hoping I could persuade you to change your mind about that drink."

Jasper couldn't help laughing. Riley was so forward; it was refreshing to meet someone who didn't bother with the usual games. It did occur to him that maybe he needed a distraction - something to take his mind off Edward as a past and potential future partner, and let him focus on getting to know Edward the person. Hell, maybe he just needed to get laid.

"I wasn't kidding when I said I don't date," he reminded Riley.

"But you take hot guys to art galleries," Riley whined.

"I didn't take him there," Jasper protested. "That wasn't a date."

"Great," exclaimed Riley, hooking his arm through Jasper's. "Neither is this. Come on, there's a great little bar just up the street."

Jasper contemplated resistance for a moment, but then gave in and let Riley lead the way. To be honest, it felt good. Riley was so funny and open, chatting easily about nothing much. Jasper never did this; he went to clubs and found men to connect with briefly and leave without exchanging any personal information. He didn't walk down the street arm-in-arm with them; he didn't drink with them – the drinking always took place before, separately. He certainly didn't tell them his name, his job, his background, his taste in music. But he found himself doing all these things with Riley, and actually enjoying it. All the responsibility and self-imposed isolation seemed to fall away without him consciously noticing.

After an hour and a couple of beers, Jasper had told him all about Peter and Bella, even confiding in him about some of the stranger discussions he'd had with Charlotte over Bella's upbringing. He skipped over his history with Edward, and Riley didn't ask, not even teasing him about the non-date any more. Riley was very forthcoming with his own history. He was a fair bit younger than Jasper, but had studied art and travelled widely before running out of money and needing to get a real job for a while.

It got to that time of night when decisions needed to be made about going home, or otherwise. Jasper found himself in the unfamiliar position of having no idea what he wanted. He liked Riley a lot, and could easily imagine becoming good friends with him, but also recognized that Riley would quite possibly want more than friendship. He also found him extremely attractive, and could quite happily end the night very pleasurably, and then walk away. At the back of his mind, Edward kept popping uninvited into his thoughts and Jasper resented it. A couple of months ago, he wouldn't have hesitated.

Riley, as Jasper was beginning to realize, didn't bother with introspection or overthinking.

"I'd really like to see you again, Jasper," he said lazily, spinning his empty beer bottle around with his fingers. "And don't give me that crap about not dating. I don't care what you used to do. This is different, it's me asking this time."

He smiled mischievously, like he knew that Jasper wouldn't be able to resist. Jasper rolled his eyes, but he had to admit to himself he was tempted. Maybe this was a good thing. Maybe he could go on a few dates, get a little action, get some distance from the situation with Edward. As he hesitated, Riley's smile got wider and wider.

"Fine, fine," Jasper finally capitulated. "I would also like to see you again."

"Excellent," said Riley, getting to his feet and holding out his hand. "Give me your phone."

"Did anyone ever tell you you're kind of bossy?" Jasper asked, handing over his cell.

"All the time," Riley replied, typing his details into the phone and dialling the number. He fished his own phone out of a pocket as it rang, Lady Gaga serenading the whole room, and saved the number. "I'll call you tomorrow to set a date."

They made their way out of the bar, pausing in the street. Jasper realized he couldn't drive home now, having had a few too many beers, and sighed as he contemplated the long walk. He was slightly startled when Riley slipped his hand into his and looked at him, his head on one side.

"I live right over the gallery," he said, biting his lip. "If you would prefer not to go home."

"That's a bit of a jump from agreeing to a date," Jasper spluttered, at the same time as his jacket felt way too thin against the cold night air and his dick stirred temptingly in his pants.

Riley was already rubbing lazy circles on Jasper's hand with his thumb, pulling him along gently in the direction of his home.

"Well, seeing as we're dating," he insisted, smirking a little. "It does seems rude to send you home on such a cold night."

He stopped and leaned back against the window of a shop, pulling Jasper closer until they were standing just inches apart, chest to chest.

"Come on, live a little," he murmured, running his other hand up and down Jasper's arm. Jasper lost the will to fight. It all felt too good, and after a whole night of first Edward's presence raising his heart rate and then Riley's constant flirting, he needed some kind of release.

He leaned forward and let his lips touch Riley's, feeling them stretch into a triumphant smile against him. Given Riley's tendency to dive straight in to the point, Jasper was surprised that the kiss was slow and gentle, their lips closed for a minute until Riley's tongue darted out to swipe insistently against Jasper's lips. The kiss deepened and Jasper felt his body responding; he tightened his fingers into Riley's grip and slid his other hand round Riley's waist, pressing himself closer. Feeling Riley's hard cock collide with his own as they ground together, he couldn't stop a groan escaping into Riley's mouth. Riley rubbed hard against him for a moment and then pushed him away firmly.

"We need to take this inside," he chuckled, and started walking again, faster this time and somewhat awkwardly, in the direction of the gallery.

Jasper let Riley pull him along, his long legs easily keeping pace with the younger man's hurried steps. When they reached the gallery, Riley led the way down a small side alley to a sheltered door. Inside, narrow stairs led straight up to what Jasper guessed was an apartment, but they didn't make it that far.

Riley somehow got Jasper turned around and pushed back against the stairs as he kicked the door shut behind him. A small amount of light from the top of the stairs leaked down to where they landed, but Jasper could barely see anything as he felt Riley's weight crush against his body. He eagerly sought out Riley's mouth again and lost himself in the full, sensuous texture of his lips and tongue.

It had been a very long while since Jasper had felt someone take their time, relishing every ounce of sensation, every possibility to feel and explore and touch. Riley was different; he wasn't wasting any opportunity for pleasure by hurrying through it. Jasper felt nimble fingers tugging at his shirt, flicking buttons open, caressing his skin, sliding into the waistband of his pants. He let Riley take the lead, relaxing completely under the younger man's control.

Riley's mouth left his own and started working down his throat, sucking gently and nipping at sensitive skin. Jasper knew where this was heading and surrendered to it gladly, running his hands through Riley's soft hair, not quite long enough to twist in his fingers, contenting himself with gently scratching his scalp. Riley hummed with pleasure as he continued his exploration of Jasper's torso, switching between soft wet kisses and playful biting, enjoying the whimpers he received from teasing his nipples, pinching and swirling his tongue around each one in turn.

While his mouth was occupied there, his hands were making quick work of Jasper's belt and zipper, tugging down his boxers to free his raging hard-on and wrapping his fingers around it. They immediately found the hard metal of the piercing and Riley sat up abruptly, losing his habitual calm for once.

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed. Jasper grinned in the darkness, enjoying Riley's moment of shock.

"Got a problem?" he asked.

"Not. At. All." replied Riley emphatically. "Hell, I think I just jizzed a bit just thinking about it."

He didn't hesitate, abandoning his original plan to work his way down slowly, unable to resist the silky, smooth skin in his hand, needing to taste the combination of steel and salt without delay. Jasper laid his head back on the stairs and moaned as he felt Riley's mouth envelop the whole top half of his cock in one go. He moved his hands to clutch at the step he was sitting on, raising his ass slightly to let Riley pull his clothes down lower.

Riley's hands stayed on Jasper's hips, holding him still while he expertly worked his cock, flicking his tongue around the piercing, hollowing his cheeks to suck him in firmly, moving slowly and thoroughly up and down until Jasper thought he would go crazy with the need to move. Riley finally relented and slid his hands around to Jasper's ass, pulling him forward, encouraging him to thrust into his mouth as he took him all the way down, swallowing around him. Jasper swore and pushed back hard on the steps, letting go of any remnant of control and picking up the pace until he felt the familiar sparks rising from deep inside.

"Fuck, Riley," he gasped. "Fuck, so close, Jesus Christ that feels..."

He ran out of words as he felt his orgasm ripping through him, Riley's talented mouth drawing it out, swallowing and licking until the final shudders died away. Riley gently released him and crawled back up his body, curling his arm across Jasper's heaving chest. They lay in silence for a minute, while their breathing calmed, until Jasper could manage to raise his head from the step. He currently felt like he was melted onto the stairs and would need some serious help to get upright again. He turned his head to face Riley who promptly kissed him, his infectious smile still in place.

"Just because you got blown on the stairs, doesn't mean you get out of going on a date with me," he whispered.

Jasper chuckled and let Riley help him to his feet and guide him upstairs, where he placed Jasper's hand firmly on the front of his trousers and squeezed his fingers around his own aching erection.

"Time for bed?" he suggested, winking at him.

Jasper nodded. He certainly hadn't expected the evening to turn out like this, but as distractions went, this would do very nicely. He pushed down a twinge of guilt as Edward's face forced its way into his mind. He had no obligation to him. He didn't owe him anything. This was totally nothing to do with Edward.

He pushed those thoughts aside and followed Riley to the bedroom, kicking off his shoes.

* * *

**Yoga & PP note:** Ooooh. Riley, eh? *grin* Hope you enjoyed what MizzHyde brought to the table - we sure did! If you want to check out more from **MizzHyde**, like her multi-chapter fic, **_Since_**, hop on over to her profile (which you can link to from ours!). Stay tuned for next Friday when **Bbebar** gets her hands on our boys.


	16. Bbebar

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Sad but true._

_A/N: Thank you to my beta, friend and hand holder, UNF4Rob…for everything. Thanks to mizzhyde for all her encouragement and for giving me Riley._

* * *

Warm fingertips danced down Jasper's spine, awakening a trail of delicious goose bumps in their path. Jasper was positive he was still dreaming, and he decided quite definitely he wasn't ready to wake up. Hazy images of frantic kissing and sated bodies lazily floated behind his closed eyelids, and Jasper never before realized he apparently had one hell of an imagination.

Soft lips pressed into the dip of his shoulder blades, and Jasper moaned out loud in his sleep. He couldn't remember a dream ever feeling this real before, and he was unable to stop his mind from immediately conjuring up images of Edward: Edward's mouth on his skin as he arched his back in ecstasy, Edward's heat surrounding and accepting him , Edward's jewel green eyes burning lust and love into his blue ones.

Jasper's body began to respond, even before his mind could make sense of what was happening. By the time he felt a wet tongue lick a long trail up his right side; Jasper was unable to prevent himself from reaching a hand down and palming his aching cock. He had promised himself he would stop using memories of Edward to get off; however, he figured one last time couldn't hurt, especially considering he could literally feel everything in this dream.

Just as Jasper started leisurely pumping his shaft while his hips thrust their way subtly back and forth, a pair of strong arms encircled his waist from behind and pulled his body flush against something very warm...and very hard. His eyes flew open in shock right as he felt damp breath wash against his neck.

"Why don't I help you take care of that?" a rough voice whispered in Jasper's ear, just as a hand that wasn't his own grabbed his cock to resume the stroking that Jasper had abandoned in his surprise.

When Riley felt how hard and ready Jasper was before even fully waking, he counted his lucky stars that Jasper decided to walk into his gallery last night. When he first spotted him across the room, he did a neck-twisting double take. Jasper was the embodiment of sex, and Riley decided right then and there he needed to fuck him. He simply had to know if that honey blonde hair was as silky as it looked, and Riley really wanted to know what response it would elicit when he pulled it. He needed to find out what Jasper's skin tasted like, what his cock felt like inside of him, and whether or not he closed his eyes when he came.

And to think Riley had come this close to not approaching Jasper when he realized he wasn't alone. However, he was unable to resist the temptation for long. Riley knew he had him captivated before Jasper himself even realized it. By the time they headed to his apartment, Riley wasn't at all surprised that Jasper had agreed. The thing that did surprise him, however, was how much he genuinely liked Jasper. They both had shared much about their lives over drinks, and that knowledge only fueled the intense chemistry between them. Riley was now more than ready for a repeat of last night, and judging by Jasper's heavy breathing, he wasn't the only one.

Thanking the heavens above they had both fallen asleep naked in their exhaustion, Riley began circling his hips in a slow rhythm, rubbing his cock against Jasper's bare ass. Jasper on the other hand, could clearly no longer convince himself he was still asleep. A flood of visceral images came crashing back, forcing all thoughts of Edward out of his head.

Riley.

A smile tugged on Jasper's lips even as his conscience felt a twinge of guilt. Putting everything else on the back burner to deal with later, Jasper glanced down to see Riley's long fingers wrapped tightly around him, pumping tortuously slow while slightly twisting around his tip on every upstroke. The movement elicited the most intense pressure on his piercing, and he once again was grateful for the tiny piece of metal.

It was all Jasper could do to stop himself from turning around and bending Riley over just to confirm whether or not his ass was as tight and hot as he remembered it. However, something in the far recesses of Jasper's heart stopped him from acting on his impulse. Instead, he was content to sink into Riley's embrace and focus on the physical pleasure Riley seemed intent on bringing him yet again. He made Jasper feel good, better in fact than he's felt in a long time. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on him; the universe possessed a fucked up sense of humor sometimes. It figured that just as he and Edward attempted to reconnect after all these years, someone like Riley would come along, tilting the world on its axis.

But hell if the boy didn't know his way around a cock. The combination of watching Riley's hand stroke him and his erection tease him quickly brought Jasper to the brink. For a precious few minutes, his thoughts went black and he literally saw stars as Riley relentlessly pumped him until his orgasm hit with such force that he cried out from the sweet agony of it all. When his breath and sight both returned to him, Jasper realized he was fucked - both literally and figuratively.

Unable to avoid it any longer, he cautiously turned around to face Riley, unsure of what he would find on the other man's face. He was almost relieved when he was met with Riley's confident smirk, bed-head, and melted chocolate eyes that were clear and free of judgment. Jasper couldn't help but lick his lips as he took in the luscious man staring back at him.

Riley snuggled in until they were so close the tips of their noses touched. He found himself placing a gentle kiss on Jasper's forehead before he could think better of it. Riley wasn't typically one for morning after cuddles and the whole hearts and flowers bullshit; not that he wasn't romantic, for he could be when he wanted to be. But, there was something about this gorgeous guy currently in his bed that brought out that side of him.

"Good morning, sexy," Riley mumbled into the crook of Jasper's neck before placing another soft kiss on the sensitive skin below his ear.

"I'd say it's a very good morning indeed." Jasper chuckled, still blissfully high from his release.

"I hope you don't mind that I took over, but what did you expect after waking me up with those noises of yours?" Riley said teasingly.

Jasper felt his face flush as he recalled exactly what he had been thinking about at that moment. He hoped that Riley would simply interpret his reaction as embarrassment at having been caught. "How could I possibly complain about that?" Jasper asked, the amusement evident in his voice that was still husky with sleep. "But...I'm not...I mean...," Jasper stuttered, unable to formulate a coherent thought.

Fortunately for him, Riley knew exactly where this was going and decided to put Jasper out of his misery. "Babe, look at me," Riley whispered as his eyes were met with stormy blue. "This," he began as he motioned back and forth between them, "doesn't have to mean anything you don't want it to mean."

The only thing Riley wanted was to make Jasper feel good, and he knew he had done that last night, more than once in fact. Jasper thought about what Riley was saying. Everything between them was just so easy that Jasper knew he could quite happily go along for the ride. There was no need to over think what had happened between them. It was a fairly novel concept for Jasper to contemplate being in a relationship that didn't come with the weight of past mistakes.

"You're really something special, you know that?" Jasper used a single fingertip to lightly trace around Riley's swollen top lip, memorizing the texture of his skin and the way his breathing picked up pace in response to his touch.

"So I've been told," Riley answered as his mouth tipped into his trademark, confident smirk. Jasper couldn't hold back the laugh that escaped him, and he relished this light feeling. He had never met anyone like Riley before, and he wondered if perhaps he had walked into his life for a reason.

"There's a hot, steaming shower calling my name…care to join me?" Riley winked exaggeratingly as he moved to finally get out of bed.

As tempted as Jasper was, he knew he needed to get home. Besides the fact that he had told no one where he was last night, he wanted time to wrap his head around everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. Riley could almost see the wheels spinning in those baby blues, and he knew better than to push.

"As fucking amazing as that sounds, I really have to get going soon," Jasper stated regretfully as he stretched both arms over his head. The muscles in his abdomen rippled in the most tantalizing way, which forced Riley to bite his lip in order to hold back a groan.

"Well, seeing as we're dating now, I expect a rain check." Riley chuckled at his own joke. "Make yourself at home, babe. I'll be back in a few to see you out."

Jasper watched as Riley turned and headed towards the bathroom. Rather, Jasper watched Riley's ass as it flexed in such a way it was all Jasper could do to stop himself from joining both Riley and his ass in the shower. But it had been a long night, and exhaustion, both mental and physical, had begun to set in. Away from Riley's overwhelmingly passionate presence, Jasper found it increasingly difficult to keep thoughts of Edward away.

It was hard not to feel guilty over the fact that Edward had clearly hoped last night would be a new beginning. While Jasper had made no promises in regards to their relationship, he hadn't missed the wounded look on Edward's face as he returned from the restroom to see Jasper and Riley in conversation. And if he were being really honest with himself, he would have to admit that the indefinable spark that had initially attracted him to Edward was still there. It was perhaps buried under several years' worth of heartbreak and bad timing, but it was burning just the same. However, if there's one thing that Jasper knew better than anyone, it's that love wasn't always enough.

As he heard the water being turned on in the bathroom, Jasper's thoughts drifted back to Riley who was offering him a new possibility. Riley was the middle ground between the endless one-night stands of the last five years and the all in, full-on relationship that being with Edward would bring. As he reflected on why he spent the night with Riley, even when he knew it would likely devastate Edward if he were to find out, it hit him. And for the first time since Edward broke his heart, Jasper understood why he did it. There are times in life when someone comes along offering to give you everything you needed in that moment, and sometimes it's nearly impossible to say no.

Riley appeared with all of his brash honesty and cocky confidence, and Jasper had to admit he could easily fall under that spell. More than ever, Jasper felt torn in opposite directions as a vision of his future with two very distinct and different paths formed in his mind. The more Jasper sat there and pondered his options, the more perplexed he became. Clearly, he was too fucking tired to sort this shit out at the moment, but he knew one thing with absolute certainty.

He reluctantly walked over to Riley's couch in order to retrieve his cell phone and keys from where he left them the night before. With a trembling hand, he slowly reached for the phone and dialed the number he still knew by memory. Heartbeats pounded a brutal rhythm in his chest as the voice from his dream answered hello on the other end.

"Edward, we need to talk."

* * *

_Bbebar A/N: Huge smooshy thanks to PerfectlyPersuasive and YogaGal for inviting me to participate in this story with these amazingly talented authors. If you didn't enjoy this chapter, take it up with Riley ;)_

_Yoga & PP A/N: Another cliffie! Y'all know how we do it. Thanks to **Bbebar** for her awesome chapter and smexy times. You can read more of her stuff, like the o/s **In You, I Am Complete**, by clicking on her link from our profile. Come back next week to see what the fab **OfTheDamned** has for y'all!_


	17. OfTheDamned

_A/N: Thanks to PerfectlyPersuasive and YogaGal for inviting me to join in on this crazy project, to Elvelethril for being the bestest beta ever, and to OnTheTurningAway for logistics and fact-checking galore._

_Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns, we just play._

* * *

As soon as he heard Edward's voice – muffled and sleepy because, Jesus, what time was it? – it became harder to be the strong, demanding person he'd intended to be. Or, at least, that he'd intended to sound like, because if Edward could see him he'd know just how nervous Jasper was over a silly little phone call.

"Edward, we need to talk."

The silence took up a beat, then another, until it was drowned out by the static of the phone and Jasper had to add, "Edward?"

"I'm here," he said, quickly, somehow already sounding fully alert.

"Okay, good."

More silence. Then he could hear Edward shifting, sheets rustling, and picturing him slipping out of bed in nothing but underwear or, worse, naked, was doing nothing for Jasper's concentration.

"Jasper?"

"Yeah?"

"What did you—"

"Oh. Yeah. I. I can't give you a commitment, Edward."

He heard a sigh, low and short, but definitely there, and then more of the silence that seemed to be doing all the talking for them and was saying all the wrong things.

"I know," Edward finally answered, sounding all sorts of strained. "You already told me. And I told you I just want to start again."

Jasper dropped himself to the couch, letting the overstuffed cushions handle some of the tension in his back. "Come on, Edward. Does anyone ever start fresh? Most people still have some sort of end game in mind."

"So, what? Are you asking if I've already picked out china patterns and dog names?"

"Have you?"

"God, no!" Edward said, quickly enough that Jasper believed him point-blank. "That would be creepy."

At that, Jasper actually smiled. "Yeah. It really would."

Edward smiled into the phone too, and felt the awkwardness start to lift like an early morning fog, suddenly leaving everything much less hazy. He wanted those things, sure, if Jasper wanted them too, but right now they were just hopes, wishes. He wanted to make them happen with Jasper, not plan a relationship without his input.

"Well, now that we've got that settled," Edward said, just a bit playfully.

"Right." And Edward could tell Jasper was more at ease too, especially when he followed up with, "I called because, well, I wanted to ask you out. On a date."

Edward blinked, replaying the words in his head to make sure he'd gotten them right. "Really? I mean, yes. Yeah. Definitely." Way to be smooth. "What about…"

"Look," Jasper said, suddenly sounding softer, like he was whispering into the phone. "I know what I said. But we both know we'll never be just friends, and I think standing around like we've never done this before is a waste of our time."

Edward wanted to contest that, he could just be Jasper's friend. For now. Well, he could try. But it didn't matter, because somehow Jasper was offering him exactly what he wanted. "Then yeah, we should date. Great," he said, and then swiftly kicked himself again for sounding too eager.

"But, Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to do it differently."

"Differently how?" Edward asked warily.

"I want to be on the same page this time—"

"Jasper."

"No, I don't – I don't want to talk about that. I'm just saying, I need to know what the rules are, so I'm setting them. I just want things to be casual."

Edward wasn't quite sure what to make of that, because apart from getting drunk and flinging himself all over Jasper, he'd already been trying to play it as low key as possible. He supposed he did have a lot to make up for though, and for the chance to go on an actual date with Jasper again, to be allowed to tell skinny little curators in too-tight pants to leave his date alone, was well worth whatever nonchalance he had to feign.

"Sure," he said finally. "Casual."

Jasper couldn't think of any other way to go forward with this. He wanted to give Edward a chance, because he obviously wasn't okay with just playing at friends if he was sprawled on the couch of his latest catch but whispering on the phone with Edward. But the same time he would not, could not, fall into dating Edward like he had nothing to lose. He'd been a changed man since Then, as it was ominously labeled in his head, the time he and Edward had been together until it'd ended with That, the fact that they hadn't actually been as together as he'd thought.

Jasper had heard Riley shut the water off not one minute ago, and knew he'd have to hang up soon or risk a very, very awkward situation. Luckily, Edward was eager to get plans made too.

"So," Edward said, in a way that sounded so forcedly innocent Jasper could just picture him whistling with his hands in his pockets. "How 'bout coffee at Lucille's?"

Lucille's, God, that was a throwback. "Coffee," he repeated.

"Or we could do caramels, whatever. Your pick."

Lucille's wasn't really the most innocuous choice, but maybe it was Edward's way of starting all over, for real. Revisiting their first date to try again.

"No, no, coffee's good. Lucille's. How about, say, at three?" He still didn't know what time it was, hadn't risked pulling his phone from his ear to check, but that would give him enough time to get home and cleaned and ready to see someone new. He was lucky he'd only had Bella Friday night while Char was out of town. He'd never have been able to plan his weekend so freely otherwise.

"Three it is," Edward said, quietly beaming and trying not to let it show.

"Great," Jasper answered, and then his voice dropped again. "Look, I gotta go. See you there?"

"Yeah, looking forward to it."

"Me too. Bye."

Edward said bye back, but heard the subtle change in static that heralded an ended call too soon afterward to think Jasper had heard it. It left him with an oddly disjointed sensation, disappointment warring with excitement at the relief of finally having a real chance with Jasper. Jasper could have had to go for any number of reasons, but the darkest recesses of his mind kept suggesting the lean and flirty curator – and damn, Edward wished he could remember his name so he could call him something other than 'the curator' in his head. Maybe just 'sleeze' or 'dumbass'. He'd been too busy trying not to glare to pay attention to petty details like someone's given name.

But, no. As Jasper himself had said, he shouldn't jump to conclusions. It was probably just Bella, like it had been before. He had no idea what her visitation schedule was these days – maybe she even lived with him full time now – and he couldn't think of anyone else he'd be with this early in the morning. Unless…

No. No assumptions.

He pushed himself out of bed, considering showering and maybe seeing to the growing problem in his shorts, but first texted Alice to warn her he had news she'd definitely want to hear.

Jasper, too, was dying for a shower, but not til he got home. Riley'd padded out into the living room just as he'd slid the phone onto the coffee table, and was eying it curiously.

"You need a minute?" he asked, and when Jasper didn't muster up an answer he added, "Or just making sure you saved my number?"

Jasper smiled, playing it off, and Riley took that as the okay to come closer. So close, in fact, that his knees bracketed Jasper's hips and their lips were a breath away from touching. Riley, among other things, was a tease.

"Can't save your number if you're blocking my phone," he said, but smiled up against Riley's mouth as he did.

"Can't get to it if you're inside me balls deep, either, but there's time for everything."

Jasper groaned, because as good as Riley felt grinding against him in tight little circles, he really did have to go.

"Another time," he whispered, and Riley pulled back.

"That a promise?"

"I guess we'll find out."

"You devil," Riley said with a wink, but he did push himself up.

It took Jasper another twenty minutes to gather his clothes and extract himself, partially against his own will, but when he stepped into the glare of the street he was grateful to be back in reality, where he could think clearly. He had a feeling he could get lost in Riley's kingdom of easy conversation and art and sex for days on end because it left him, of all things, relaxed.

Edward was anything but relaxing, even when everything between them had been new and untainted, unknown and exciting. He'd woken up early on days he knew he'd see Edward, too immersed in thinking about him to rest properly. It had been worth it, for a time, but definitely not relaxing.

And he knew enough to know that this easy-like-Sunday-morning thing with Riley wasn't really the norm. He should've slipped out the door as soon as he'd heard the shower – hell, he typically wouldn't have even stayed the night. But instead of the need to run, or even to stay, he just felt comfortable. Maybe it was just a really nice couch.

He tried to conjure up the sloshy fluttering in his stomach that made him so antsy but also meant he was light-headed with anticipation and willing to take a risk. He concentrated as he walked to his car, focusing on his gut with his eyes pinched and waiting for anything that reminded him of butterflies, but when his stomach gurgled instead he gave it up and fished for his keys.

Just because Riley was fun and talented and hot like sin didn't mean he was ready to start making this a habit. Or start bringing Bella over. He couldn't even picture the two meeting. Bella with her long, braided hair and watchful eyes, Riley jittery with energy, trying to urge some conversation out of her. Then again, would Riley even still be interested, once he realized he'd have to share time with Jasper's daughter? A weekends-and-summer-and-Thanksgiving daughter, but a true daughter nonetheless. He couldn't even tell whether Bella would vote yay or nay on Riley, and it could be hard to earn her good graces.

Edward, of course, probably still had them. Even now, because Jasper had never had the heart or the stomach, really, to tell her why exactly Daddy's new friend didn't come around anymore. Especially in the wake of Peter's death, it hadn't taken long for her to stop asking about Edward, but the one time he had come up – over a clandestine order of onion rings, of all things – Bella had surprised him by staunchly announcing that that she remembered Edward. He was tall, and she liked him.

Not that that mattered yet. Edward had just rematerialized in his life, after five years of both villianizing and fantasizing about him, which could sure as hell leave a man confused. And now he had two options, though it'd probably tear Edward apart to let him know that, but if Then and That had taught him anything, it was that he had to look out for himself. He couldn't give up the idea of an easy, reliable thing for a chance with Edward that might or might not tear down what little self preservation he had left.

Still, though, he wanted to try. Starting with Lucille's. And with that thought, Jasper's stomach tightened with a feeling that was suspiciously fluttery.

Edward showed up to the pastry shop fifteen minutes early, after spending twenty trying to get his hair to look mussed and like he hadn't spent any time at all. Jasper was five minutes early, and they smiled at each other before heading inside.

Sunday afternoon was a busy time at any coffee shop, with the church-goers and late risers, Lucille's especially, and they passed the time in line with typical weekend and weather talk. When they got to the registers Edward turned to Jasper and asked, "Two macchiatos?"

Jasper let a glimpse of surprise show on his face, either that Edward remembered, or that he hadn't bothered to hide that he did.

"Tea, actually. But black."

Once they had their drinks in hand, creamed and sugared to taste, they waited while an older couple vacated a two-seater in the corner, and sipped patiently on their drinks.

Jasper let himself steal glances in Edward's direction, reassessing what he'd told himself, until recently, he shouldn't want. He looked fantastic, as Jasper had expected, back in jeans again and a blazer that Jasper would have, once upon a time, wanted to slip his hands under to feel the trim waist hidden under it. He'd even dug out his old school sneakers.

"So, I gotta ask," Edward asked as they settled in, "tea?"

"Oh," Jasper smiled, a little embarrassed. "Bella. She's made a big fuss about how coffee's supposed to be bad for you, so I promised her I'd try to switch over. It's a new thing and I'm not sure it'll last." He wrinkled his nose just to make his point, and Edward grinned.

"Yeah, I don't know anyone who'd make the switch willingly."

"No kidding. But she really took the healthy-living thing to heart after, well." He looked away. What was he doing bringing that up, and so soon? "It was important to Peter."

Edward took a deep pull off his still-hot coffee and cleared his throat. "How is she, by the way? These days?" He congratulated himself on a segue well executed when Jasper shoulders perked up.

"Oh, great. Really into Barbies, and ballet. And tea." He rolled his eyes a little. "She and Char do tea parties with the Barbies, and I pretty much just leave them to it."

Edward nodded along, but didn't ask any more about the living situation in case it was another sore topic. Conversation was pretty easy from then on. Jasper shared anecdotes of the weirdest design requests he'd ever gotten on his building plans, and Edward filled him in on the unfortunate but hilarious time his mother had asked his father to make her signature Bolognese sauce for a dinner party. They talked mostly about things that meant nothing, and spent a solid hour laughing to themselves over cups that had long since gone empty.

It was as casual as Edward could do, and it seemed to be working. Jasper had kept himself firmly guarded, tense and closed-off since the day they'd met. Re-met. But here he was lounging against the miniature couch, one arm over the back and a foot up on the foot of the coffee table. It was refreshing, closer to the confident, assertive Jasper he'd known, and he let himself enjoy it. Maybe it had something to do with why Jasper had decided to try dating after all, but either way he wasn't going to question it.

He was fiddling with his empty cup, trying to come up with something to fill the lull between them, and ended up saying, "I'm glad you called, Jasper. I was hoping that, eventually, you know… I'm just glad, is all."

"Me too."

Jasper found this much easier than the attempt they'd made with the gallery. With anyone else it would feel strained and laden with pressure, but now that all the cards were on the table, it wasn't hard to just sit back and enjoy things as they were. Did he trust Edward like he had in the beginning? Not at all. But this date wasn't about that, it was about seeing how they fit together now, as the new adults they were.

As it turned out, side by side on one of Lucille's cozy loveseats, they fit together pretty nicely.

"We should do it again," Jasper suggested, and was pleased to see Edward's grin broaden. Five years ago he would have kissed him right now, just like this, but things had to be done differently this time.

"How about next Saturday?" Edward asked, and Jasper was about to nod before he remembered.

"I can't."

"Oh, alright," Edward said, settling back against the sofa.

"It's Bella's final recital, and I have to be there."

"I understand," Edward said, dismissing it with a wave, but Jasper still looked like he was on the defensive. "Jasper," he added slowly, "I told you that I changed. I like who I am now better, and things like this are part of it. I really do understand."

He didn't try for another apology now, even though he'd make them endlessly if he thought Jasper would take a single one of them to heart.

"Ballet, you said, right?"

"Yeah," Jasper said, looking at ease again, and was about to say more when his phone buzzed once from the table. He held up a finger while he reached for it.

Edward took it as the perfect chance to show his acceptance of Bella and what she needed from her father, and swirled the dregs of his coffee around while Jasper checked his phone.

Jasper expected a text from Char about Bella's ballet recital next weekend, or maybe from Bella herself, now that she was learning technology, but instead it was a picture message from Riley. He opened it before really considering it, and then wished he hadn't.

It was a picture of Riley himself. Nothing revealing, luckily, just a shot of himself with one finger two knuckles deep in his mouth, and a large wooden spoon held in the other fingers of the same hand. Underneath it were the words: made 2 much alfredo, want 2 help me eat it up?

Jasper looked away, trying desperately not to react here in the coffee shop with Edward. It took a moment longer than it rightly should have before he could look Edward in the eye.

"Sorry about that."

The problem was, Edward recognized Jasper's reaction. He'd seen it, years ago, directed at himself. He knew exactly what it was, and that text was most definitely not from Bella. He started to wonder if he was being played, if this was Jasper's version of revenge, subjecting him to the same pain he'd inflicted on Jasper all those years ago.

"Jasper?" he asked, unable to edit the suspicion from his voice. "If you're not into this – I mean, I know I made a mistake, and I'm trying to make up for that."

"Hey," Jasper cut him off. "What's with the back pedaling?"

Edward didn't want to know. He didn't want to know who the text was from, or how long Jasper'd been seeing him, but he wasn't just making assumptions anymore. He knew that look. And, of course, another part of him had to ask.

"Who is he?"

"Edward," he said, pursing his lips.

"I just." He started unrolling the paper lip of his cup. "I didn't think you'd—"

"Edward," Jasper said again. "I told you. I want to just be casual for now."

"This is casual. I'm doing casual. I'm wearing sneakers, for god's sake." Not that that meant anything, he knew, but he had been trying to be as low-stress as possible all along.

Jasper's face turned up into grimace, looking uncomfortable and apologetic at the same time. "Edward," he said quietly, "I meant not exclusive."

Edward reeled back, pressing himself as far away from Jasper as the couch would allow. "Oh."

"I'm sorry. I thought I was clear. I didn't mean to mislead you, at all. That's not what I do."

They both winced at the accidental barb.

"I just mean, isn't that what casual dating is?"

"I know that. I just thought – just that you were taking this seriously."

"I am." Jasper scooted across the cushion, trying to draw Edward back into the conversation instead of staring away like he was doing. Jasper didn't know how he ended up being the one apologizing, he at least was being up front, but he didn't think his relationship with Edward, romantic or not, could handle anymore misunderstandings.

"Look. I called you because I wanted to do this. But how do I know last time won't happen all over again?"

"It won't," Edward promised fervently, head snapping back to look at him.

"I just have to be sure. So instead of risking that again, I'm just laying down the ground rules. I can't be exclusive right now, so I'm not asking you to be either."

"I want to," he said, and then pressed his lips shut. He was pretty sure that was the opposite of no-pressure. "I mean. I'm willing to be."

"I can't," Jasper said on a wince. For a moment, he almost felt like the man Peter used to accuse him of being. Disloyal, adulterous. But, no, that was the whole point of being honest about things in the beginning. Before Edward could say anything else Jasper said, "This is the only way I can do it."

"Fine," he said, almost detachedly. "Okay." But that was all he said.

"I still want to do something next weekend," Jasper said, in the hopes of bringing back their earlier mood. "If you want to."

Edward hated the thought of seeing other people, for Jasper or himself. As if it wasn't hard enough to earn Jasper's trust all over again, now he had to compete against other guys too? But he wouldn't be here if Jasper wasn't worth it, wouldn't be trying so damn hard, so eventually he nodded. Then, in an attempt to not be the mopey, emotional date, he made himself smile.

"Friday, then?"

"Definitely. I would hate to subject you to eleven year olds in tutus. Want to do dinner?"

"Sure. Or, the old theater is doing a classic monster movie marathon all weekend."

"Actually," Jasper said, surprised by the novelty of it, "that sounds like a lot of fun." It was a change from their typical artsy scene, but you had to appreciate your country's roots every once in a while, however B-rated they were.

Edward was thrilled to see the genuine smile return, and smiled back.

They walked out to their cars together, and as they were saying their goodbyes, Jasper placed a hand lightly on Edward's shoulder and swerved in from the side to place one solid kiss on his cheek. It wasn't what he wanted, of course, but he understood. As uncommitted as Jasper wanted to stay, it felt like a promise. If not of a future, then at least of a chance.

"I'll see you Friday."

"Well," Edward said, "don't forget the meeting on Wednesday," and Jasper let out a groan that turned into a laugh.

"Yeah," he said, "and I still have some prep to do for that. So, fine. See you for the fun stuff on Friday."

"You bet."

Just as he turned away, Edward felt a buzz in his pocket and checked to see a text message from Alice, timing as impeccable as ever. He bet Jasper got one too, but when he glanced over his shoulder, he wondered whose text Jasper was replying to – Alice's or the mystery guy's, who may or may not manage art for a living.

Jasper thought the buzz in his pocket would be more of Riley's antics, seductive as they were forward, but instead he found two words from Alice: call me.

That certainly was an option. But then again, so was Riley.

* * *

_Yoga & PP A/N: And, it continues! What is Jasper going to do now? Who what where when... all that will be answered/continued next week when the fab **OnTheTurningAway** takes her turn. Give some love to **OfTheDamned**! Also, if you haven't read her story **Your Biggest Fan**, I seriously don't know why. It's definitely in our faves!_


	18. OnTheTurningAway

_OTTA AN: Thanks to **Yoga **and **PP **for inviting me to join this crazy rollercoaster ride. Huge thanks to my fabulous beta **ArcadianMaggie**, **TuesdayMidnight **for pre-reading and **ICMezzo **for brainstorming with me. We probably broke the biggest rule of participating in a round-robin fic by doing so but…*shrug* Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: No profit was made from the writing of this story. All creative rights to the characters and recognizable elements belong to their original creator(s) and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended._

* * *

Jasper sat in his car for several minutes, toying with his phone and thinking long and hard about what to do. It would be easy to drop everything and spend the rest of the evening wrapped up in nothing but Riley. There was no denying how physically compatible they were. A shiver ran down Jasper's spine just thinking about how well the kid knew his way around a cock and how he could work magic with that sweet mouth of his. Jasper was sorely tempted to give in and spend the night with him again.

Still, there was a nagging voice in the back of his mind telling him it was too much, too soon. It seemed crazy that he'd just had his _non-date_ with Edward the night before when so much had happened since they'd awkwardly parted company at the gallery. As much as he tried to deny it, Jasper felt guilt twisting deep in the pit of his stomach. Even though he'd told Edward he needed to keep things casual, he didn't want to be the kind of man who said goodbye to one guy only to jump into bed with another minutes later. Semantics aside, Jasper had gone to the gallery the night before to meet Edward and had woken up at Riley's, plain and simple. That it would be the second night in a row that he went from Edward's company to Riley's bed was enough to make him text Riley back and decline his offer.

_Mmm...looks delicious. Wish I could but I have a busy week ahead. Rain check? _

Before Jasper had a chance to scroll to Alice's name in his contacts list, he received a reply.

_*pout* I'd say u don't no wht ur mssng, but… ;) Sure txt me whnevr_

He shot Riley a quick _Will do _before calling Alice and filling her in on the basics. She was quiet when he told her he'd met a fun new guy he planned on seeing again and Jasper wondered if she'd already talked to Edward. For the first time in ages, Jasper felt awkward sharing details about one of his conquests.

"Don't over-think things, Jasper," Alice said, before he'd even had a chance to bring it up.

"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, Alice," Jasper said. "You've been a good friend, but I know you talk to Edward too. I'm trying to be upfront with him about things, but I also don't think he needs to know details about other guys I might be seeing. I'd hate it if you felt like you'd been put in the middle."

"Listen, Jasper, I think Edward is sincere about the changes he's made in his life, and I'd love to see things work out for you guys if it's meant to be," she said with conviction. "But I can also see that you feel the need to protect yourself after everything that happened. I don't blame you for not wanting to commit right now, and I'm glad you were honest with Edward about it. And if you happen to meet a nice guy or two while you're figuring things out…"

Jasper could practically hear Alice's suggestive smile through the phone and was unable to hold back a little chuckle. "I don't know if I'd say Riley is a particularly _nice _guy, but he's fun, easy to talk to and goes after what he wants. It feels good to have this kind of attraction to someone and not have to worry about getting my heart broken."

"Just keep in mind that your heart isn't the only one on the line, okay?" Alice said quietly. "Edward took a big risk in apologizing and asking for another chance, but he did it because he really cares about you. Have fun and do what makes you happy, Jasper, but try not to forget that. As much as it might not seem like it right now, the day will come when Edward won't be willing to be one of many."

Jasper exhaled loudly as the truth of Alice's words sunk in. The thought of losing the possibility of something with Edward had a sobering effect after his whirlwind weekend and he was suddenly exhausted.

"I know, Alice," he replied softly. "This is all I have to give right now, but I'm not trying to hurt anyone in the process; trust me."

"Okay. Enough of this heavy stuff," Alice said to lighten the mood. "I'm running out to catch a flight to San Francisco but I'll check in with you when I get back in a few days. Take care, Jasper."

"Bye, Alice," Jasper replied before ending the call. He drove the rest of the way home in thoughtful silence.

-o-

Three days later, Jasper was ready to drop. He hadn't been kidding when he'd told Riley he had a lot to do during the week. He'd been working long hours with Maria, trying to get everything perfect for their presentation at the Wednesday meeting. Jasper was averaging three hours of sleep a night and even that was fitful at best.

He had been having strange dreams since his talk with Alice, many starring a lone figure standing too far off in the distance for him to see the person's face. He'd wake up panicked and filled with anxiety, desperately trying to make sense of things in his sleepy haze. His initial thought was that the figure was Edward, but he couldn't shake the lingering feeling that it was himself who was standing all alone. It didn't make sense, because even if things didn't work out with Edward, or some other guy down the road, he'd still have Bella. Except he didn't really have her, not all the time. And someday, sooner than he wanted to think about, she'd go off to live her life, and then who would he have?

Jasper's other dreams were much more straightforward and left him sweaty and writhing in his sheets. Sometimes they featured Riley, his full, pink lips and warm, talented mouth doing filthy things to Jasper. Other times it was Edward who invaded his sleep, morphing from the playful man from years ago to the hopeful Edward Jasper was getting to know all over again. A heavy feeling of desperation blanketed those dreams as dream-Edward worshiped Jasper as if he was trying to convince them both of something. Once he dreamed he had both Edward and Riley in his bed, all three of them kissing and stroking and sucking and fucking with an intensity that had him not caring whose lips, fingers and cocks were whose. He'd struggled against waking during that one, and had to jerk off twice before he was able to fall back to sleep.

By the time Wednesday rolled around, Jasper was exhausted and in need of some serious relief – the kind of relief Riley had easily put on offer and the kind he wasn't ready to indulge in with Edward. He took a cool shower to wake up and clear his head before typing out a quick message.

_Sorry about Sunday. If you're free tonight, I'd like to take you out._

Riley's answering text was swift and it took Jasper a minute to decipher it.

_np. u can make it up 2 me by tkng me dncng 2nt.  
_

After quickly mourning the fading importance of the lowly vowel, Jasper's heart skipped a beat at the thought of going to a club with Riley and blowing off some steam after the big meeting.

_Can't wait. See you tonight._

Having taken care of that evening's plans, Jasper proceeded to dress carefully for the day's events. After selecting a crisp white shirt and a charcoal suit, Jasper perused his rack of ties. The suit was more formal than his usual office attire, but he and Maria were presenting to all of the executive level members of the firm for the first time and he needed the overall impact to be impressive. Even so, Jasper couldn't tamp down the memory of a drunken Edward rambling on about his 'beautiful eyes' at the holiday party, and it might have influenced his decision to grab the pale blue and grey striped tie.

He hadn't seen Edward since Sunday and was eager to run into him again. Jasper was in unfamiliar territory, going from years of nothing but one-night stands to dating more than one person at a time. He decided that the only way he could do it was to focus on the person he was with, and do his best to put the other out of his mind. He knew it wouldn't be easy, especially where Edward was concerned, but he felt it was only fair to try.

Jasper also wanted to regain some of the ease he'd felt with Edward years ago, instead of the stilted awkwardness that always seemed to loom over their conversations. He knew keeping things casual wasn't what Edward wanted and he was determined to find ways to show Edward that he cared, despite not being ready to commit. The hard part was doing so without going too far and leading Edward on in any way. To that end, he'd picked up a little gift for Edward the previous afternoon and was looking forward to giving it to him after the meeting. It was another reason why Jasper was eager to get his day started and he was running on pure adrenaline as he made his way to the office.

Maria was already in the conference room when he arrived and they quickly set up for the presentation. Keeping an eye out for Edward, Jasper welcomed the participants with confidence. When Edward entered the room with a very pregnant Heidi by his side, Jasper stepped toward him and greeted him with a firm handshake, a quiet hello and a warm smile before ushering Heidi to the nearest seat. Jasper recognized her as the assistant who provided administrative support to Edward and another one of the department heads. He supposed she'd drawn the short straw and had been asked to record the minutes of the meeting.

Intending to ask Edward for a moment after the meeting, Jasper was distracted by a handsome, fresh-faced young man who pulled up a spare chair between Edward and Heidi. By the time he recovered his senses, Maria was starting the presentation and Jasper's focus returned to the task at hand.

Several hours later, Jasper was happy to conclude that the meeting and presentation were a great success. He fielded the usual questions and proposed revisions, but overall, Jasper was relieved and felt the late nights had more than paid off. It was late afternoon when they wrapped up for the day and just as Jasper made his way over to Edward to ask to speak with him in private, the firm's Director suggested going out for cocktails. Edward glanced at Jasper expectantly and it was crushing to see his expression change from one of anticipation to disappointment when Jasper's lips formed a tight, regretful smile.

"I wish I could," Jasper replied. "Unfortunately, I have plans this evening."

"Come on Jasper," Demetri chided. "It's not very often Carlisle offers to take us out for drinks. Are you sure you can't get out of it?"

Jasper knew he could easily break his plans, but he was honestly looking forward to a stress-free night out and having a little fun with Riley. He was just sorry Edward had to find out that way.

"Sorry, everyone. While I appreciate your generous offer, Carlisle, I'm going to have to pass this evening. Next time, drinks are on me," Jasper said.

He shook a few hands and watched as Edward gathered his things from the conference table and turned to leave the room.

"Edward!" he called out. "May I have a moment before I have to leave? Please?"

He could tell Edward was upset but was trying his best to keep his expression blank. Jasper wasn't sure what the members of the firm knew about their past, if anything at all, and he wasn't eager to clue them in. Instead of following Edward out like he would have preferred, he stood firm and waited for Edward to respond.

"Sure, Jasper. I'll be in my office," Edward replied and quickly walked out the door.

After the bare minimum of small talk, Jasper excused himself and walked quickly to his workspace to retrieve Edward's gift before heading to his office. He had wanted to give it to Edward under less tense circumstances, but he hoped it would be appreciated just the same.

Knocking softly, he waited for Edward's permission to enter before pushing the door open. Edward had schooled his features into a stoic expression and he sat ramrod straight at his desk.

"Hey," Jasper began. He was at a loss for words and Edward wasn't giving an inch. He decided to press on, because what else could he do?

"So, earlier. Sorry about that. I don't typically discuss my private life at work, but I didn't want to be dishonest about why I couldn't join all of you for drinks."

Edward sighed and nodded toward the chair across from him. Needing to reassure Edward, Jasper took it a bit further and perched himself on the edge of Edward's desk.

"I'm fine Jasper. Well, no, I'm not fine, but things are what they are, right?" Edward asked. "I know that you working for the firm adds another layer of complexity to our…unique situation. I'm just getting used to things."

Jasper nodded in agreement before asking, "Edward, is this going to be too hard for you? I'll try not to bring my personal life into the office, but I can't promise that what happened earlier won't happen again. I need you to tell me if you're honestly okay with the way I need to do things right now."

Jasper was relieved that Edward didn't jump in with an answer immediately, unlike the hurried response he'd given at Lucille's. Instead he closed his eyes and took a moment to really think things over. When he did speak, he looked Jasper directly in the eye and Jasper had no doubt he was telling the truth.

"Jasper, I want this to work. I'm willing to try things your way because the alternative is not trying at all and I know I _don't _want that. But I don't want to be stuck in this awkward holding pattern indefinitely while you try with other people, either. I'm not asking for the world here, but I need to know that I'm not the only one invested in this."

Jasper couldn't have asked for a better opening for his gift, so instead of fumbling over what to say, he simply picked up the small shopping bag and placed it in the center of the desk. Edward peeked inside and looked quizzically at Jasper.

"I know you're a coffee guy, but it's a tea infuser and a bunch of different kinds of loose tea. I thought…I thought you'd like to try a few kinds out before letting me know which you preferred. So I can have some on hand at the house if…" Jasper stopped and shook his head before continuing. "When. When you come over."

A small smile formed on Edward's face and he closed his eyes again briefly before looking at Jasper. His expression was so open, he was sure Jasper could read his mind. It wasn't ideal that Jasper had a date that night, but the simple fact that he foresaw a time when he would welcome Edward back into his home was more than enough to make up for it.

Edward tilted his face up and fought to contain his smile. "Thank you."

Jasper nodded, bending down to press a kiss to the corner of Edward's upturned lips. Edward's exhale was warm and sweet and familiar, and Jasper had to use all his willpower to restrain himself from taking the kiss further. He was sure that his gift had let Edward know that he wasn't alone in wanting to try, and that had to be enough for now.

He rose slowly and smiled at Edward before heading for the door.

"I'm looking forward to our date on Friday, Edward. See you tomorrow."

"Night, Jasper."

-o-

Jasper had to stop by his own office and run a few errands on the way home, so while he managed a meal and shower before meeting Riley, he hadn't had time to squeeze in a nap like he'd hoped. Lucky for him, setting eyes on Riley was like a jolt of electricity to his system. Riley was standing near the club's entrance, casually chatting with a few other boys and one of the bouncers. He looked younger without the suit and formal attitude he'd sported at the gallery, but he looked sinfully good dressed in all black. Jasper walked over and put a hand on Riley's lower back before leaning in and saying hello. Smooth as ever, Riley turned to face Jasper and pulled him in for a quick kiss.

"That's my cue, boys. It's been fun but I've got better things to do, as you can see," Riley said with a wave to the group.

Once inside, Riley quickly got the bartender's attention and ordered their drinks, but followed Jasper's hand into his pocket when he reached for money.

"This round is on me. You look like you could use it," Riley said, letting his fingers do the walking a little before extracting his hand to grab their drinks. "Don't worry. You're still the hottest guy in the place – except for me of course."

Riley was definitely in his element and Jasper was enjoying watching the show as he shed the tiredness of the day and sunk into the mindset of a night out. Introductions were made and Jasper chatted with a few of the guys. It was too loud for deep conversation, but it wasn't the setting for that anyway. Jasper and Riley talked for a few minutes at a time, sharing little details about the past few days. He wasn't a big drinker, but when Riley handed him a shot, Jasper downed it immediately and reached for his beer.

Riley seemed to know everyone, but he never strayed too far from Jasper's orbit. When he was out of reach, he'd take a drink and lick the moisture from his lips while locking his eyes on Jasper. Jasper loved every minute of it: the drinks, the mindless fun, the pulsing music, the gorgeous flirt who was here with _him._ He was half hard watching Riley hold court over their little group, spinning tales about his travels and the interesting people he'd met at the gallery. Riley was looser and more flirtatious in the club than he had been the other night, but Jasper found it just added to the attraction he felt for him. After a few more drinks, Jasper pulled Riley back towards him until his ass was flush with Jasper's cock.

"I know what you're doing, you tease," Jasper whisper-shouted over the din of the music.

Riley ground his ass back against Jasper. "Mmm...Is it working?"

"Damn right it is," Jasper growled in his ear.

They moved to the dance floor and spent the next couple of hours fused together, ignoring everyone else around them. Their hands wandered and tongues tangled as they ground their bodies together, both of them hard, panting and desperate for more. Jasper knew their dancing was bordering on being obscene but he couldn't seem to keep his hands to himself around Riley.

When Riley went to get them some water, Jasper moved to the periphery of the dance floor and brushed off a few offers to dance. When someone grabbed his ass, he clenched his hands into fists and turned, ready to tell the handsy guy to fuck off.

"Well, well…who do we have here?" the guy said when they were face to face.

Jasper relaxed instantly and smiled when he realized the asshole he was about to tell off was Brent, from the tattoo and piercing parlor. He looked exactly the same, except that he was wearing tiny, skin-tight silver boy shorts, and had nothing but body glitter covering his smooth golden skin. He twirled under Jasper's intense gaze, giving him an extra minute to admire his assets. Jasper had to admit that the guy had the hottest ass he'd ever seen. It was tight and round and was perfectly accentuated by his shorts. Jasper couldn't help but stare admiringly.

"Brent," he said when he managed to tear his eyes away.

"How are you Jasper? I've never seen you here before," Brent said.

"I'm great. Just hanging out with a friend tonight," Jasper replied.

"Hmm… You and Riley seem to be quite _friendly_ by the look of things," Brent said. He laughed and Jasper couldn't resist joining him. He wasn't surprised that Brent knew Riley. Everyone seemed to. There was little point denying anything, not that he would want to, after the display they'd been putting on while dancing.

"I have to say, I'm surprised to see you here without that redhead. Edward, wasn't it?" Brent asked.

Jasper's posture straightened and his smile faded away. He was having a good time with Riley and didn't want to think about Edward. "Yeah, well, that was a long time ago."

"Sorry, sorry. It's just...I know I barely knew you two, aside from poking holes in your dicks of course, but there just seemed to be something there," Brent said with a shrug. "Sorry things didn't work out. I was sure I'd see you in the shop again for tattoos around your ring fingers someday."

Jasper blushed, not sure how to respond. Brent seemed to get the hint and dropped the subject.

"Well, the clock is ticking. I can't deprive the patrons of this fine establishment from the pleasure of looking at my ass any longer," Brent said with a grin. "If you're ever looking for another _friend_ to hang out with, you know where to find me. Hell, think of the fun we could have if you brought Riley along."

With that, he kissed Jasper on the cheek and drifted back onto the dance floor, the crowd parting and then circling around him.

Jasper watched him go, smiling and shaking his head despite their awkward exchange. Moments later, he felt Riley's arms slip around his waist from behind and he relaxed into the embrace.

"You seem to know all the pretty ones, Jasper," Riley said playfully. "Do you take him on not-dates to galleries too?"

Jasper wasn't sure how to answer the question. There was nothing to tell Riley about Brent, but Edward… He wasn't sure he wanted to say anything about Edward at all, if he was being honest. It seemed wrong, somehow, especially since Jasper wasn't divulging specifics about Riley to Edward, even if part of his reasoning was to spare Edward's feelings.

"Brent? No. Although he has seen my dick," Jasper said jovially. "He did my piercing, but we've never…no. I haven't even seen him since that day, actually."

Riley looked amused and Jasper had no idea why he didn't just stop talking when he had the chance. He was still thinking about Brent's comment though, and continued rambling on.

"The other guy, from last week, he was different. I mean, he used to be…we're...we used to –"

Riley wrapped his arms around Jasper's neck and stopped his stammering with a kiss.

"Hey, I was just teasing." He snaked his tongue into Jasper's mouth and kissed him breathless before continuing.

"You don't owe me any explanations, Jasper. You told me that you don't really date, so I'm just going to be blunt with you about how _I _date. I'm young and successful and know I'm attractive. I go after what I want and I like sex, a lot. I also like you. You're intelligent, fun and sexy as hell. But the thing is, we haven't even known each other a week. Can we just agree that when we're not together…well, that we're not together?"

There was something about Riley's openness and honesty that drove Jasper wild. Maybe it had something to do with the drinks he'd had earlier or the haze of lust that surrounded them on the dance floor. Or maybe it was that Riley had a way of saying things that made it all sound so simple. All Jasper knew was that he had to get his mouth on Riley, immediately. He was on him before Riley could even finish his drink, pushing him onto a couch tucked into a dark corner of the club, and working open the button and zipper of his pants.

"Fuck, Jasper! Here?" he whispered.

"Here," Jasper answered. "Can't wait."

Riley moaned, slouching down and raising his hips so Jasper could tug his pants down far enough to pull his cock out.

"Commando, Riley? Are you trying to kill me?" Jasper teased before sinking down between the couch and table and swallowing Riley's cock in one go. He used all of his best tricks to get him hard: sucking and pulling at Riley's cock with his lips, working his tongue up and around the shaft, pressing the ball of his piercing along the underside and working it along the head until Riley was hard and leaking against his tongue. He hummed and took him deep, loving the feeling of Riley's cock hitting the back of his throat. He choked a bit after a particularly hard thrust of Riley's hips, but he recovered quickly and pulled off just long enough to catch his breath and say, "Yeah, Riley. Do it. Fuck my face."

"Christ Jasper," Riley moaned, gripping Jasper's hair in tight fists under the table and pumping his hips in a steady rhythm. It only took a few minutes before Riley's hand tugged on his hair in warning and then he came in thick spurts into Jasper's mouth. Jasper moaned at the taste. He had never had a problem swallowing; he didn't mind, really, but it was definitely something he'd had to get used to. Riley's cum actually tasted _good_ - thick, salty and a little bit sweet_._ He licked Riley's cock clean, paying extra attention to the oversensitive head until Riley was panting that it was too much. Jasper tucked him back into his pants and buttoned him up before Riley pulled him off his knees and into a sloppy wet kiss.

"Mmm...I don't know how you manage it, but even your cum tastes good," Jasper said against his lips.

Riley lazily shoved Jasper back onto the couch and smiled at him with a heavy-lidded, satisfied gaze.

"There's a reason why I drink vodka and pineapple," Riley said with a devilish grin. He looked thoroughly debauched and Jasper was both pleased at being the cause of it and hard as a rock.

"That was fantastic," Riley said before running a hand over the bulge in Jasper's pants. "Want to get out of here?"

Jasper jumped up and grabbed his hand, pulling a laughing Riley through the crowd. They only made it as far as a dark side street, where Jasper had parked his car, before Jasper's was licking Riley's lips and sucking on his tongue while Riley shoved a hand into Jasper's jeans.

"Riley," Jasper panted. "I might not make it to your place if you keep that up."

Jasper realized his mistake as soon as he'd said it and saw Riley's eyes light up. Riley was not a boy to turn down a challenge and he quickly grabbed Jasper's keys, opened the passenger side door and shoved Jasper sideways into the seat. Riley sank to his knees and tugged Jasper's jeans and briefs down his thighs.

Unlike what Jasper had done in the club, Riley took his time with Jasper's cock. He used long, slow licks to wet the shaft, teased and mouthed at his balls and sucked hard on the head until Jasper was squirming. Then he pulled off and started the cycle over with soft flicks of his tongue. His hands never stopped moving either, one sliding under Jasper's t-shirt to pinch and tease his nipples and the other lightly stroking the insides of Jasper's thighs. Jasper propped himself up on the console behind him as best he could and watched Riley in action. He was mesmerized by the sight.

Riley was gorgeous, but Jasper didn't think he would ever look hotter than he did at that moment, kneeling on the sidewalk in the middle of winter with Jasper's cock in his mouth. He dragged a finger down Riley's face to trace where red swollen lips stretched around him, and almost came when Riley looked up at him with dark, lust-filled eyes. Jasper stroked the bulge in Riley's cheek as he worked Jasper over, moving his head from side to side and then taking Jasper deep with a long, hard, suck. When Jasper's thighs started to tremble, Riley pulled back and concentrated on the head, sucking and teasing with his tongue while a hand stroked Jasper's shaft and balls. Riley opened his mouth when Jasper started to come, letting long white streams hit the back of his throat and fall on his lips and tongue.

"Riley, fuck!" Jasper groaned as he came, fighting to keep his eyes on that sinful, cum-streaked mouth. Jasper shuddered through his release and still, Riley didn't move. Jasper grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him up, mashing their lips together and moaning at the taste and feel of his cum on both of their tongues.

Jasper finally pulled back, keeping his arms around Riley and shaking his head. "Jesus, Riley. You are a dirty, dirty boy. Fuck that was so hot."

Riley laughed and stood up, brushing himself off before pulling Jasper up to stand next to him.

"So, now that that's out of the way," Riley began. "What do you say to taking me home and having your way with me until I pass out?"

Jasper groaned, remembering how good it had felt to slide deep inside Riley, how hot and tight and responsive he had been just a few nights before. It was a very tempting offer, and one he might have given serious consideration to had it been the weekend or had he not been sleep deprived the past several nights. Silly as it might seem, Jasper also didn't feel right inviting Riley into his home. At least not yet. It wasn't that he was embarrassed by Riley or ashamed of what they were doing. But bringing him into the home he created and shared with his daughter was something Jasper took seriously, and he just wasn't ready for that.

Deciding that honesty had served him well so far, Jasper answered, "As tempting as the offer sounds - and believe me, it is a _very_ tempting offer - I'm going to have to pass. It's really late; it's been a long week and I have a lot of work to do in the morning. You've reduced me to an exhausted mess already and I think I only have enough energy to get home in one piece."

Instead of looking put out as Jasper had anticipated, Riley just shrugged and smiled as he pressed his lips to Jasper's.

"Another time, then," Riley said. "I haven't forgotten a certain conversation we had about you being buried balls-deep in my ass..."

Jasper groaned and slid his hands down to squeeze Riley's ass roughly, having momentary second thoughts but knowing there would be another opportunity for that, if he wanted it.

"Can I drive you home?"

Riley looked over his shoulder towards the entrance of the club where his friends were all still dancing inside. He pursed his lips and hummed. Jasper found that he didn't mind Riley wanting to stay and told him so before leaning in for another deep kiss. He literally could not get enough of Riley's mouth, regardless of which part of Jasper's body it was touching.

"Thank you, Riley. Tonight has been fun and exactly what I needed. You really are amazing, you know that?"

"Of course I do," Riley answered and ran the tip of his tongue over Jasper's kiss-swollen lips.

Riley finally pulled away, and after a wink and a quick grope of Jasper's sated cock, he turned and walked back toward the club.

The drive home was short, but Jasper felt exhaustion settle deep in his bones. After a quick shower to rinse the residue of sweat, sex and a long day from his body, Jasper fell into bed and was asleep in minutes. The next sound he heard was his alarm going off and he woke feeling surprisingly refreshed and alert. It was the first night in almost a week his sleep hadn't been interrupted by dreams.

-o-

It was noon by the time Jasper made it over to Edward's firm. He didn't actually need to visit the client site, but he was hoping to see Edward and confirm their plans for the following night. Jasper checked in with Maria before walking down to the Art Department. He heard a tinkling laugh that could only belong to Alice, so he quickened his step and knocked lightly on Edward's partially-opened door. Edward was laughing when he said, "Come on in," and Jasper found the two of them seated on top of Edward's desk, feet dangling off the edge. Who he hadn't expected to see was the young man from the previous day's meeting. He was seated in the chair across from them, eyes trained on the pair with obvious admiration and a shy smile gracing his lips.

"Jasper!" Alice exclaimed. "Well, this is perfect timing. We were just talking about going out for lunch. Have you met Seth?"

Jasper wasn't surprised Alice has taken over introductions, even though she was apparently the only person in the room not working for the firm.

"Hi," Edward said with a warm smile before gesturing in the direction of the mystery boy. "This is Seth Clearwater. He's filling in for Heidi, who unexpectedly went into labor last night. He'll be working with me for the next few months. Seth, this is Jasper Whitlock, the architect working on the new building."

Seth stood and held out his hand, eyes bright and friendly. "Hello. It's nice to meet you, Jasper. I enjoyed listening to your presentation yesterday."

Jasper knew he was being irrational but the way Seth had been looking at Edward – like he was in awe of him or something – had Jasper seeing green. He regarded Seth coolly when he extended his hand, and put a bit more force into the handshake than absolutely necessary.

* * *

_Yoga & PP's AN: Well, looks like someone's jealouuuusss! Next week we find where the super fun **ICMezzo** decides to take it. Leave some love for **OnTheTurningAway** and then visit her profile page to read some of her other work, like the drabble arc **Imperfect Timing**. Until next week!_


	19. ICMezzo

A/N: Thanks to YogaGal and PerfectlyPersuasive for inviting me to be a part of this adventure. And many thanks to ArcadianMaggie for prereading, TwilightMundi for betaing, and OntheTurningAway for her assistance with this chapter from start to finish.

Disclaimer: No profit was made from the writing of this story. All creative rights to the characters and recognizable elements belong to their original creator(s) and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

* * *

Edward hadn't been sure what to expect of his and Jasper's monster movie date. There was so much between them still—he could feel it and sensed Jasper could too—but there was also so much behind them. Sometimes he wondered if it could ever be easy for them again.

In some ways he longed for life to be as simple as it was for his new assistant, Seth. He remembered being Seth's age; everything was easy. Seth thought Alice was cute, so once the kid had checked with Edward that Alice didn't smile like that for just anyone, Seth had gone and asked her out.

Like Edward and Jasper, Alice and Seth were out on a date that very night. As Edward had gotten ready, he had wondered which couple had the better chance of exchanging kisses before the evening was over, grimacing a bit as he decided it might well be the other couple having dinner across town.

That said, casual or not, Edward wasn't sure how much longer he could be in Jasper's presence without shoving him up against the nearest wall, car, building—the location was pretty much irrelevant—and pressing his mouth to Jasper's.

It was this desire that flooded Edward's brain and had so severely diminished his sense of concentration, he would have been hard-pressed to name the movie he was seeing, even though he'd been sitting next to Jasper in the darkened theater for nearly thirty minutes now.

Edward shifted in his seat and tried to pay attention to the monster lumbering about on the giant screen. Needy did not look good on him, Edward knew. But god, did he need Jasper.

Edward hazarded a glance at his date. Jasperpeeked back before looking down at their hands which had been resting next to each other on their almost-but-not-quite-touching knees since the opening credits. Jasper's pinky was now lifted in the air though, so Edward mimicked his action. Jasper quickly linked their little fingers together, offering Edward a wink and a soft smile.

Well, it was a start anyway. A good sign. Maybe even a promise. Just like the gift Jasper had given him a few days prior.

Edward bit his lip and returned his gaze to the screen in time to witness Frankenstein's monster discover that wine was indeed "gooooood."

Poor monster didn't know intoxication, Edward thought to himself. If he thought wine was good, he should experience Jasper.

The errant thought jolted Edward from his almost-holding-hands-in-the-dark-inspired haze. At this point, anyone was free to experience Jasper. The thought made Edward nauseous as jealousy bloomed in his gut. Edward hadn't had the opportunity to properly kiss the man in more than five years and he didn't think Jasper was putting physical restrictions on his other dates.

Before Edward could get too worked up, Jasper leaned over to him and stage whispered conspiratorially.

"Pretorius is totally gay. The man knows his way around a test tube."

Startled out of his mental spiral, Edward blinked at Jasper for a few seconds before he found himself laughing aloud. It wasn't that the comment was particularly funny, but it was so natural, Edward found the tension pouring out of him. Despite it all, they still shared the same appreciation for life's little moments; they saw things the same way. It was something they could build on. It was a taste of what "easy" might someday be.

Apparently inspired by Edward's reaction, Jasper kept going.

"Try some cock. It's my only weakness," he added, badly mimicking Pretorius' accent.

Edward snorted loudly this time, which caused Jasper to chuckle, and simply made Edward laugh harder. In fact, he couldn't seem to stop.

Apparently, neither could Jasper. They fed off each other's reactions. Jasper started cackling, unable to help himself as Edward shook with laughter, all remaining tension leaving him.

When they started getting hushed by others in the audience, Edward linked the rest of his hand with Jasper's and pulled him up from his seat and out into the darkened aisle. They tripped out into the hallway, spilling popcorn and forgetting their scarves and stepping on who knows what, giggling along the way.

Once in the brighter lights of the cinema lobby, Edward and Jasper took one look at each other and burst out laughing again until they were gasping for air.

Edward recovered first, but watching Jasper's flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes made Edward realize that five years was way too long to go without kissing the man before him. Non-exclusivity clause or not, Edward couldn't wait a moment longer.

He took advantage of Jasper's moment of weakness and pushed him back against the wall in the middle of the movie lobby, staring into the blue eyes that had haunted him.

"Fuck," Jasper breathed, as Edward's lips crashed into his, claiming him in front of cashiers, ushers, concession stand workers and a posse of tween girls in line for the women's room.

Edward ignored the catcalls and the spattering of applause. He didn't notice when Jasper dropped his coat to the floor beside them. He only tasted Jasper's lips, memorizing their salty buttery movie popcorn flavor because he knew that he could never take such a thing for granted ever again. He only saw Jasper's eyes as they flashed, then darkened and then closed, giving into the connection they shared. And he only felt Jasper's hands when they reached up to scratch through Edward's hair until they came to rest at the back of his neck.

They broke apart when one of the ushers suggested that if they weren't planning on watching the conclusion of The Bride of Frankenstein, they might be on their way.

It was a no-brainer as far as Edward was concerned, and Jasper seemed to be like-minded. They grinned at each other as they put on their coats and headed for the exit. And when Edward felt Jasper's hand on his back guiding him to the door, he found himself quite eager to leave the land of make-believe in search of beer and a place where they could get to know each other once again.

xXxXx

"I'm trying to decide which of us is more like Frankenstein's monster," Edward told Jasper as they headed out of the bar later that evening to walk back to their cars. They'd been talking and joking around for hours, carefully avoiding certain subjects, but finding plenty to discuss nonetheless.

Jasper thought for a moment. "You, definitely. You kinda have the same haircut," he pointed out. "Plus you're just as inarticulate—at least until you've had your coffee."

Edward bit back a smile. "Seriously, and you drink tea why, again?"

Jasper grinned. "Bella's wish is my command."

"She's a lucky girl," Edward almost murmured, but determined to keep the lighthearted mood, he returned to their prior discussion. Emboldened by the beer and the fun they'd been having, it was Edward's slightly awkward way of flirting. "Anyway, I think you're right. It's probably me. After all, I do appreciate firm bones," Edward joked, elbowing Jasper.

"Hey! We both like those!" Jasper exclaimed, causing them to simultaneously glance down at each other's pants and then guiltily back at each other, before cracking up again.

"I guess we've both got a little Frankenstein in us," Edward said, trying not to laugh.

"Well, it's safe to say we both have monster-sized cocks, so that's a draw," Jasper teased.

"Right!" Edward chimed in, "And we both have barbells below our heads!"

And suddenly, time stood still.

It had never been so still, Edward was sure of it. The entire earth had stopped and was staring at him, marveling at his incredible idiocy.

Jasper gaped at Edward, who blushed furiously.

Not only had the comment been very unlike him, but Edward knew it was way too soon to reference the intensely intimate experience they'd once shared. He wasn't sure if it was the warmth running through his veins or if he'd simply not been thinking before he spoke, but now the words were out there.

"I...er...shit." Edward muttered. "I'm sorry. This is worse than when I choked on your meat. I mean, your balls. Your meatballs. Meatballs. Fuck."

Edward closed his eyes, stopped walking, and turned around so Jasper couldn't see his burning face, cursing his inability to think before speaking.

"Hey, c'mon. It's fine," Jasper told him, coming up behind him and putting a hand on Edward's shoulder. "I was just surprised." He ushered Edward back to the sidewalk so they could continue on, though Edward was loath to meet his eyes.

Jasper coughed in an obvious attempt to lighten the mood. "I just can't believe that every time I look at myself now I'm going to think of Frankenstein. That's unforgivable, Edward."

Edward was grateful. He peeked over and saw Jasper's grin, quirking his own smile in response. His next order of business was trying to keep the memory of Jasper's piercing out of his mind. He was incredibly unsuccessful.

"Hey! Stop thinking about it!" Jasper exclaimed, as he watched Edward's expanding grin.

"I'm not!" Edward protested, lying.

"Fine. I'll just think about yours then," Jasper informed him, following the statement with a far-off look in his eye and an exaggerated "Mmmm."

"Stop!" Edward laughed. "Stop, stop, stop!"

"What if I don't wanna?" Jasper asked, playfully bumping into Edward as they walked along.

Edward sucked in air as memories flooded his head.

God, they could be so great together. He knew it. They'd changed; he'd changed. But they still worked. He just hoped it didn't take Jasper very long to figure out how good they could be again. He knew he had to prove to Jasper that he could be trusted; he'd certainly fucked things up badly. But somehow, they'd find their way. They had to. And all this "casual dating," that Jasper insisted on would be worth it. What they had...it had been special. Edward felt confident it could be that way once more.

Edward boldly grabbed Jasper's gloved hand. "Okay?"

Jasper studied Edward's face for a moment before cracking a smile and grunting, "Alone: bad. Friend: good!"

And suddenly, they were back to discussing monsters and eccentric gay scientists and whether Jasper had been tempted to lifthis leg a la the 1940's Hollywood starlets when Edward kissed him in the theater.

As they reached his car, Edward's mood sobered. "Thank you. I had fun tonight," hesaid softly, turning to Jasper. "I haven't laughed this hard in years."

"Me either," Jasper echoed. "Not since..."

"Yeah." Edward cleared his throat, recalling their first date at the arcade many years back. He had always remembered how much fun they'd had, and had subconsciously compared other first dates to that first one with Jasper. Edward was happy he hadn't entirely imagined it and Jasper had been special.

Meanwhile, Jasper stepped in closer and took Edward's other hand in his own. "Thank you. I know this is hard. But I need to do it this way."

Suddenly Edward found he couldn't breathe. They were so close yet so very far.

"Jasper..." Edward couldn't help it. Emotion clouded his voice, and he knew Jasper could hear it. It was all out there for Jasper to see.

Jasper's eyes flashed in recognition and the air between them shifted.

"I know." Jasper closed the space between them. Unlike Edward's kiss in the theater, when Jasper's mouth found his own, the touch was light. Their lips brushed together once, twice, before Jasper more firmly pressed against Edward. Chaste but insistent.

Edward sighed when Jasper pulled away.

"I don't know what to do now," Jasper confessed after some silence.

Edward watched Jasper in the streetlights. "Well, you could come back to my place. Just to...I mean...not to..." he paused to collect himself. "To continue our evening. Whatever that means to you at this point."

They studied each other.

"I could," Jasper said simply.

"Or not. Whatever you want." Jasper held the cards.

Edward's phone buzzed in his pocket as he received a text message. He pulled it out, grateful for the distraction as Jasper decided what he wanted to do.

_Thnx for setting us up. Seth's sweet. Real gentlmn. I invited him 2 my place!_

Edward couldn't help but chuckle a bit at Alice's apparent intent to corrupt his innocent assistant. But he was glad she was happy. He started to text back but looked up when he heard Jasper clear his throat.

"Who's that?" Jasper asked, his voice tight.

"Oh, Seth and A—"

Before Edward could explain further, Jasper brazenly grabbed the phone from him, shut it, and stuck it in Edward's pocket. He grasped Edward's coat and tugged it toward him, until their chests were separated by nothing more than the width of his hands.

"Later," Jasper demanded.

"But—"

"I said 'Later'," he growled, pulling Edward completely against him, and kissing him desperately, furiously.

Heady desire, long denied, took over. All tongues and lips and teeth, their mouths claimed each other in ways they couldn't yet express with words. Edward's hands found Jasper's waist, and Jasper's body pressed closer against his. They couldn't get enough.

They kissed until Edward was breathless.

Until buried memories came to life.

Until there was no denying how much their bodies wanted each other here and now; until there was nothing else.

Until Jasper gasped and stopped and pulled back.

Until he informed Edward with a strangled voice that he had to go. Now.

Then Jasper did. Without looking back.

Edward stared after him, bewildered. When devastation took over, it did so without mercy. Edward turned and buried his head in his arms atop the roof of his car, shaking and wondering what he'd done, what he could undo, and whether it could ever be easy for them ever again.

Perhaps he'd been foolish to think so.

xXxXx

Alice called the next day, but Edward didn't feel like talking. He could tell by her voicemail that she was giddy from her date "and more" as she put it. He texted her back instead of calling, partly to protect himself and partly because he refused to rain on her parade.

As such, he made it through the weekend without talking to anyone in person.

He was confused and hurt. He'd agreed to casual. He'd even agreed they didn't need to be exclusive.

He hadn't fucking agreed to let Jasper screw with him.

By Monday morning Edward's confusion had turned to anger and he was all business when he walked into his office. He simply couldn't deal with Seth telling him about his date with Alice, so with little more than an apologetic look, he gave Seth some busywork and closed his office door.

He thought of nothing but his work the rest of the morning.

When Edward next looked at the clock, he was surprised to discover it was already early afternoon. The hours had flown and the focus had done him good. His mood had improved to the point that he felt slightly guilty for the work he'd given Seth. It needed to be done, but Seth could do far more than the mindless project Edward had assigned him, and they both knew it.

He opened his door and headed over to Seth's workspace. "Hey, grab your coat. Let's go get some coffee and talk about the meeting we have tomorrow?"

Edward could tell Seth was eager for the change of pace, and minutes later they were headed out of the office. Edward purposely headed in the opposite direction from Lucille's; he didn't want any reminders of Jasper to get in the way of his focus. Sure, the other local cafe was more expensive, less inviting, and had inferior beverages, but at least it wasn't haunted.

After Edward bought coffee for them both, they chose a table and started outlining a plan for the meeting with a new client. They worked quickly, and Edward was glad for Seth's ideas. He even found himself smiling at their progress. Seth was good; there was no question.

Edward was taking a sip of coffee when he heard the voice he'd recognize anywhere order a "tea, black" at the counter behind him. He choked as the hot beverage flooded his burning throat, attracting the attention of everyone around him.

Edward grabbed Seth's spare napkin and tried to stop coughing, eyes watering as he recovered.

Meanwhile Seth had clearly spotted Jasper and waved hello. When Jasper called back a strained greeting, Edward was forced to turn around and acknowledge him through his coughs.

It was then that he realized Jasper wasn't alone.

The curator was with him, smirking as he trailed a coffee stirrer along Jasper's chest, a gesture indicative of comfortable intimacy. Seeing it crushed a part of Edward he hadn't known existed.

Edward quickly turned back and wiped his watering eyes again with the napkin, wishing he could turn back time and unsee what he'd just witnessed. Or go back two weeks and take Jasper somewhere—anywhere—other than the art gallery. Or, hell, go back five years and start over from scratch.

"Come sit with us!" Seth called, pulling up extra chairs to their table before Edward could find a way to protest.

He closed his eyes and counted to ten, tried to breathe and figure out how the hell he'd make it through this.

He looked up again when he heard footsteps approach. It was quite a gathering.

Jasper was glaring at Seth.

Riley was smirking at Edward.

Seth was oblivious.

And Edward was trying not to run screaming from the coffee shop.

* * *

**Yoga & PP note:** Eep! Oh my my my...what will happen when all four of these boys get together? You'll have to wait until next time when **elusVjacob** takes control! Until then, get yourself another helping of **ICMezzo** with some of *our* favorites. If you haven't read her completed (and brilliantly hilarious!) fic _**Said & Done**_, what are you waiting for? You can find a link to ICMezzo in our profile. Big thanks to her for taking part in this crazy experiment! xo


	20. elusiVjacob

**A/N:** Thanks YogaGal and PerfectlyPersuasive for inviting me to participate. *thumps chest* yes I am the only guy participating and am proud of it. Thanks for being flexible with my time constraints. I have enjoyed reading the story and look forward to the ending. -elusiVjacob

Disclaimer: SM owns them all, I just play with them from time to time.

* * *

_Deep breath in, pause. Deep breath out, pause_. Edward closed his eyes. _Deep breath in, pause. Deep breath out, pause_. When he opened them again, the final scene of _Go_ was unfolding before him and all the players were present and accounted for. It was the culmination of five years worth of emotion, five years worth of worry, five years worth of pain. _Deep breath in, pause. Deep breath out, pause._

Edward stood from his chair as the couple, no duo, walked towards them and though his emotions were battling for upheaval, he flooded the battlegrounds with a lake of indifference. He felt it crawl over his skin, smoothing the once taut surface. The water level rose as his persona loosened and his gut finally released itself from the knot it had so tightly tied itself in when Jasper et al had walked through the door. He refused to say the curator's name any longer for he was not simply the curator. He was but a representation of a group of men that Jasper surrounded himself with and used for lustful gratification. Each time he addressed one of the many by name, it gave them some sick twisted power over him._ No longer_. From now own, they were all simply Et al.

The level of indifference rose past Edward's chest, releasing his restricted lungs and allowing a smooth pattern of breathing. No more deep breaths, just breathing. Finally, the levels of Lake Indifference rose to the gateway of Edward's soul, his emerald eyes. Once clear windows to his every emotion became mirrors to the outside world. He blinked slowly a few times, making sure the new reflective coating had been properly applied.

"Hi guys," Edward managed, realizing he was still standing. He pulled his chair in a little closer and sat back down as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn't been about to bolt from the coffee shop like a scared little boy. "I think we all know Seth. Say hi to new guy, Seth."

"Hi," Seth responded with an awkward tone to his voice.

Jasper Et al took the chairs that Seth had stolen from an empty table and took a seat. Of course they were all on Jasper's side of the table. Why enter the dragon's den if you didn't have to?

"We were just getting ready to discuss his date last night with Alice." Edward punctuated the last of his words with a sideways glare in Jasper's direction.

"Oh," Seth exclaimed, having been taken a little by surprise. "Yes, we were."

Seth enthusiastically launched into a recount of the previous night, but Edward tuned him out. He was more focused on the two men sitting across from him. He grabbed his coffee and sipped at the hot beverage, letting its warmth spread. Shamelessly, he stared at the pair across from him, glancing from one to the other and back again.

There was something about them together that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He sipped at his coffee again. Jasper was trying to focus on Seth's story, but intermittently glanced in Edward's direction. When Jasper had first come in there was something in his body language that suggested he wasn't happy at seeing him and Seth there. Edward rolled his coffee cup in his hands. Was that jealousy? No, it couldn't be. But if it was, why? He drummed his fingers on the side of his cup before taking another sip. That bit of information was going to be filed away for inspection at a later date.

"-the third one ducks. Ehh, ehh? I didn't think it was going to be a hit, but she laughed until she cried. I tell ya, those are the best kind." Seth took a sip of his drink and continued. "So then after that we-"

Et al looked a little more comfortable with the situation than Jasper. He was probably used to these types of awkward situations where everyone knew what was going on. He knew about Edward and Jasper, and he knew that Edward knew about him and Jasper. Jasper being the connecting point. Only one of Et al's hands was visible as he played with the top of his paper coffee cup. The other was probably resting on Jasper's leg, or even better- between Jasper's legs.

As if knowing that Edward was thinking about it, Et al ran his fingers over Jasper's crotch and Jasper flinched in his chair.

"You alright, Jasper?" Seth asked, blissfully unaware of the sparking tension in the air.

The majority of the tension was between Et al and Edward as they silently squared off across the small table. In one pair of eyes there was the cocky assurance that he had what Edward wanted and he wasn't about to let it go. And to fuel the emotion even more, Edward held up his mirror and allowed Et al to view himself and all his _glory_. Meanwhile, Edward stroked the idea that he had taken something from Jasper that few others could compare to.

"Oh shit! Jacob!" Seth called, pushing back his chair.

All eyes turned towards the register to see a tall, dark Native American _man_ approaching. Lust bloomed from the remaining occupants of the table as they watched Seth and Jacob greet each other with an affectionate hug. Edward complimented his ex for keeping up with his trademark body.

Jacob wore a tight dark t-shirt that stretched lovingly over mounds and thick cords of muscle. Dark jeans hugged all the right curves of his slender lower half pulling all attention to where it was needed the most. Edward's mouth watered just a bit before he reined in the reaction and took a swallow of his now tepid beverage. The physical appearance of Jacob's body was only exemplified by the sharp angles and planes of his handsome face. Straight black hair was pulled back leaving half to accentuate the beauty of this man's face even further.

Edward adjusted in his chair, relieving a little pressure that had built. Boy if this wasn't just one fan-fucking-tastic trip to get a coffee. Seth nearly bounced back to the table with his visitor in tow.

"Hey everyone, I'd like you all to meet my cousin Jacob. He's down from the reservation for a few days taking care of some business. Edward, do you mind if we extend our break a little bit?"

"Not a problem." Edward reached out with one long arm and turned an empty chair for Jacob. "Have a seat," he nearly purred. For a while after they broke up, he and Jacob had kept in touch for a short while. There was no need to hate each other, the parting of ways was just an unfortunate direction their lives took and after a few months there just wasn't anything they had to say to each other.

Jacob's face lifted with an earthy beauty as he smiled, revealing rows of straight white teeth. "Thanks." He took one look at Edward and the softness of his dark brown eyes turned nearly predatory.

"Jacob, this is Edward, my boss," Seth introduced, gesturing towards Edward. "I believe I may have mentioned him before."

"You have." Jacob smiled widely once more before turning to the others across the table. The only thing he'd failed to mention to his cousin was that he knew Edward too, _intimately_.

"And this is Jasper and..." Seth trailed off leaving his introduction open for interruption.

"Riley," Et al finished.

Jacob merely nodded in their direction as he took a sip of his drink.

"So I was just relaying to everyone about my date last night with Alice-"

Edward instantly tuned Seth out. He glanced over at Jasper, and if looks could kill, he'd be six feet under, or more. Yes, it was jealousy in those eyes. The temperament had cooled a bit while Seth gushed about his date with Alice, but was back with a raging vengeance. Hopefully Jasper could see himself in Edward's eyes, see the emotion that had threatened to consume Edward on many occasions.

Could this be a new weapon in support of_ Operation: Get Jasper Back_? Or was this his saving grace that would pull him from the prison built by Jasper's sporadic affections? Either or, he was going to play. Slowly, he turned his gaze to the man sitting next to him. Normally, he would not be so obvious in his gawking, but he wanted to see how much he could poke at the new found beast before it bit.

Of course, Et al looked unfazed by Jasper's emotion. He was too busy checking out Jacob. How could someone so unabashedly be gawking at another man with the object of your lust sitting right next to you?_ Oh, that's right._ Sparks flew around the table as Edward undressed Jacob in his mind, and Jasper was split between trying to put Jacob's clothes back on and trying to maul that gorgeous face.

"Uhh.." Seth stammered, finally noticing the tension at the table.

"Tell us, Jacob. What brings you to town?" Edward swirled the remains of his beverage before swallowing the cold schwag.

Jacob watched the tender skin of the red head's neck flex with the motion and licked his lip a little before responding. "Just taking care of some business for my old man. And maybe a little pleasure for myself," he tacked on at the end watching Edward's nostrils flare slightly with his words.

There was a small grunt and Edward turned to find Jasper gripping his coffee cup in rage. Yes, Edward thought. _Feel the burn_. "You know; they say you're not supposed to mix business with pleasure."

"They also say that lions aren't supposed to lay with lambs."

Edward cocked that famous half smile of his and ran his finger suggestively over the top of his empty coffee cup. "But that's just what they say."

"Talk is cheap. Possession is nine tenths of the law."

"Agreed." And right now, Jacob was in possession of Edward. During their little back and forth, Edward kept a lock on Jacob's dark eyes. They swept over him, promising the greatest pleasure he'd ever experience and Edward didn't doubt the accusation for a second. He knew first hand what Jacob could do to man. He chanced a look in Jasper's direction, and the flames in the man's eyes were burning hotter than the surface of the sun. Jasper's fingers were nearly crushing the paper coffee cup he was gripping in front of him. And as expected, Et al gawked at Jacob. _Mission accomplished._

"Seth, I believe it's about time for us to be headed back to the office." Edward had done enough damage for the day. Best to let Jasper stew in emotions for a bit. Maybe he would find what he was looking for now that Edward had shook everything from the shelves.

"Yeah, I think it is." Seth took a deep breath, trying to suck in a bit of oxygen that had disappeared from the atmosphere surrounding the table.

"One sec," Jacob started. He pulled a pen from the pocket of his jeans. How he got it in there was an unsolved mystery. He pulled a napkin from the dispenser on the table and sketched out a series of digits. "Give me a call if you like." Though his eyes said please. "I'll be in town for a couple of days." Again, his eyes conveyed that he'd come to town if Edward called.

Edward took the napkin and folded it a couple of times. He winked at Jacob as he stood from the chair. Seth and Jacob rose as well, leaving Jasper et al seated. Jasper worked his tongue in his mouth trying to stretch the muscles of his face that had become tense during the latter part of the visit. Et al leaned back in his chair, still gawking at Jacob as he rested his hands over his crotch.

The trio exited the coffee shop, listening as the small bells over the door shattered what remained of the tense atmosphere. Outside, Seth and Jacob said their goodbyes, promising to call each other later. Edward slid the napkin in the back pocket of his pants as he smiled his goodbye to the beautiful man.

As Edward and Seth passed by the large window of the cafe, Edward couldn't help but cast a sideways glance at the table where they'd been sitting. Jasper remained seated and watched as Edward passed into view. His eyes still flared like the flames of a roaring forge, providing the heat that Edward would use to temper his greatest weapon.

_Himself._

* * *

**A/N:** Take that and put it in your back pocket, Jasper!

Yoga & PP A/N: Big thanks to **elusiVjacob** for stepping up and being the only guy in this gaggle of girls! Show him some love in a review and let him know you appreciate his bravery for signing on to this madness ;) If you want to read more from elusiVjacob, check out his E/J fic, **elusiV**, then come back here next week to see what **hidingfromsomeone** has in store for our boys!


	21. hidingfromsomeone

_hidingfromsomeone's A/N: Apologies for the delay, boys and girls, all sorts of funny things going on in my world. I'm not gonna lie, it took a while for me to take off my Harry Potter head and put my Twilight head back on; after swearing I was finished with Twific it has clearly come back to bite me in the ass. Pun intended. It's been great fun, thank you to PerfectlyPersuasive for asking me to take part!_

* * *

He was woken at three in the morning by a ferocious banging on his front door.

Edward groaned as he swung his legs out of bed, rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes and checked that he was clothed. Somewhat. That would have to do.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he muttered as the banger started up another rousing rendition of what sounded like 'Who Let the Dogs Out'.

The bolts were undone quickly, the door opened to reveal a worse for wear Jasper with his fist raised, teeth bared, clearly preparing for anther round. Maybe he was going to treat them all to something a bit more modern. Lady Gaga, perhaps.

Deciding that clearly, cohesive thought patterns had escaped him, Edward chose a greeting of: "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Is he here?" Jasper demanded, pushing past Edward into the house. "Is he? I'm going to settle this right here, right now."

By the looks of him, Edward thought the only thing that Jasper was likely to settle was his stomach lining into the toilet bowl, but he let the other man rampage through his home. _Too tired to give a fuck_, his brain helpfully supplied.

"There's no one else here, Jasper," Edward said wearily. "Just me. And you, now, by the looks of it."

Jasper laughed manically. "You think I'm going to believe that? Fuck that shit, Edward, no fucking way. Are you hiding him in a closet or something?"

Edward rolled his eyes and followed Jasper back to his bedroom. The other man had flung open his closet and was trying to crawl back into it.

"Come out of the closet," he sighed. "There's no one in there. Who are you even looking for, anyway?"

"Take your fucking pick," Jasper spat as he stood again. Muttered: "Bathroom."

"There isn't anyone in the bathroom either."

"No? Not Seth? Not _Jacob_?"

"I haven't seen Jake since last week. In the coffee shop."

"And I'm supposed to believe you?"

Jasper was weaving now, his feet planted firmly on the floor but his joints didn't seem to be doing their job of holding him up. It was clearly not the right time to launch this discussion-come-argument. Edward ran his fingers through his hair, combing it back from his face and lead Jasper through to the bathroom. Poured a large glass of water and shoved it at Jasper's chest. Some of it spilled, spreading a dark patch over the light gray t-shirt he was wearing.

Jasper's tongue crept out and wet his lips, seemingly noticing, or taking notice of Edward's bare chest and flannel plaid pants for the first time.

He threw his head back and chugged down the glass of water, some of it spilling from the corner of his mouth and dribbling in riveting rivulets down his neck, finally being absorbed by the cotton at his throat. Jasper slammed the glass back down on the counter, turned to look Edward right in the eye, turned to the toilet and vomited. Explosively.

"Glad I inspire such a reaction," Edward muttered and shut the door behind him.

He headed for the kitchen and set a pot of coffee to brew. The whole encounter had only taken half an hour; the night was inky black as he stared out into the nothingness. Fixing himself a mug, he broke out the cream he had been saving for Sunday, to take to his mother with the dessert he was providing to stay in her good books. Not that he was ever out of them.

It took less time than he expected for Jasper to appear in the doorway to the kitchen.

"I should go."

"Shut the fuck up. Get a coffee and sit the fuck down."

Silently, Jasper did as he was told. When he was seated Edward joined him.

"I understand that you're angry…"

"Damn right I'm angry," Edward snapped. "You have no right to come barging in here in the middle of the night, no matter what your suspicions. This arrangement was your idea, Jasper, remember? You wanted to have your cake and eat it, well, the same goes for me. Who I do or do not fuck is none of your goddamn business."

"But Jacob is your ex," Jasper protested.

"What difference does that make? I could be having an orgy with half of the Seahawks team and the only recourse you have is asking to join in too. Your rules, Jasper. You play by them and so do I."

Jasper nodded.

"I should go," he said again.

"Stay," Edward said, rolling his eyes. "You're in no state to go anywhere in your condition."

"I'm fine," he protested feebly, breaking off at Edward's harsh glare. "Okay."

"Sofa," Edward said. He rose, dumped his mug in the sink and after grabbing a few blankets from the closet, threw them over the back of the sofa.

"Thanks," Jasper murmured as he toed off his shoes.

"I'd hold off the gratitude until the morning if I were you," Edward muttered. "My good mood might not last until then."

He woke late the next morning, as he had decided was his right. In turning the alarm off, he was making a socio-religious statement as to the hallowed status of Saturday mornings. Or something like that.

After showering and dressing in jeans and a t-shirt, low key, low fuss, Edward headed back to the kitchen. As he had expected, Jasper was gone.

There was laundry to be done and the bathroom needed to be cleaned, which took up what was left of his morning, not that he minded much. It was the sort of day where mindless tasks were welcome, a favourite CD providing the background noise leaving his head blissfully clear to just _think_.

When, exactly, had things gotten this complicated?

Back when they had first met he was so idealistic. He wanted things like marriage and children, a partner to settle down with, the freedom to declare his love and commitment to another man. The past few years had seen not a subtle shift, more like a metrological jump from family man to career man. Not that his job, or his bank balance had suffered as a result of this. He was financially stable now, and in a much better position to be able to start a long term, loving relationship.

It was just that now that he was in a position to do it, it was the last thing he wanted.

There was something undoubtedly freeing in being young with no responsibilities outside those to yourself. But that didn't account for Jasper.

Because Jasper changed things.

That thought stopped him dead, right in the middle of scrubbing the bathtub. Jasper changed things. He pulled the rubber gloves off his hands and rushed to find his sneakers, pulling them on over his bare feet and grabbing a hoodie to ward off the cold. His keys and sunglasses were just where they were supposed to be, for the first time ever, and he ran out to the car in his haste to get to Jasper's.

What he didn't count on, or expect, was for Bella to answer the door.

All teenage dream, big doe eyes, dark brown curls, growing into a woman Bella.

"Hi," Edward said, stuttering over the one syllable. "Is, uh, Jasper, I mean, your dad there? Please?"

She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at him and silently opened the door to admit him entry.

"Dad!" she bellowed into the house. "Some guy here for you!"

"Edward," Edward supplied.

Bella's mouth dropped open. "You're Edward?"

"Yes."

"Oh shit."

And with that, she left.

Jasper appeared from the direction of the kitchen, drying his hands on a dishcloth.

"Edward," he said, looking shocked.

"Sorry, I should have called," Edward said. "I didn't realise you had Bella over."

"For the weekend," he said. "And it's me who should be apologising. For last night. It was really out of order, Edward, and I want to make it up to you. I _will_make it up to you."

"I didn't come here for your apologies," Edward said, shaking his head. "I just wanted to say…"

It became quite clear that there was someone listening in to their conversation as a muffled cough floated down the stairs. Jasper's eyes flickered upwards then back to Edwards while his mouth stretched into a smile.

"Charlotte will be here at seven."

"Huh?"

"Charlotte. Bella's mother. She will be here at seven to pick up our daughter and take her home."

"Oh," Edward said, getting it. "Okay. I'll see you... around."

It was for the best, Edward decided as he returned to his own house. He was expected at his parents' for dinner in only a couple of hours and he clearly needed to change before he went over there. It would give him time to cool down and to actually think before he entered into any meaningful conversation. Or started yelling for being woken up in the middle of the night. Whichever happened first.

He left it until eight to leave for Jasper's... again. Eight was a good time. It gave Charlotte enough time to stop to talk to Jasper without him interrupting. It meant he wasn't likely to run into Jasper's daughter, the daughter who thought 'oh shit' was a reasonable way of greeting a stranger. _Teenagers._

Eight meant he wasn't rushing over there at the first chance he had. Eight was cool. Nonchalant, even. Eight said_ I'm in no rush_.

He broke the speed limit four times on the drive over.

Jasper answered the door wearing jeans that were too big for him, faded, hanging low on his hipbones. And a goddamn, motherfucking tight black tank top. Hair worn long these days, curling around the shell of his ear, spilling down to brush the back of his neck. Blond juxtaposing with black cotton and golden tanned skin.

Even as he felt his jaw drop, Edward had no way of preventing it. The message from brain to jaw hinge was clearly not getting through.

"Hi, come in," Jasper said, cool as a cucumber as he opened the door wider. "Sorry about Bella earlier. She's going through a phase. I think it's going to last a while."

"Until she turns twenty one?" Edward suggested, finally finding his voice.

Jasper laughed. "Yeah, that's what I'm scared of."

They got caught up in a strange sort of dance around each other in the hallway, sidestepping around a pile of shoes and a dresser and trying not to look into each other's eyes when clearly, that was the only thing that mattered.

Resistance was futile for one heart breaking, breath stealing moment and Edward promptly fell over his own feet.

"Shit, are you okay?" Jasper said, grabbing his biceps to stop him going down. All the way down. Where getting back up again was unlikely.

Edward didn't say anything, he was pretty sure he was blushing a whole new shade of red as Jasper hauled him back up and left his hands gripping Edward's upper arms. Edward swallowed convulsively.

It was a chance or a sign or something; he could respond to this display of arm- gripping and see where it took them, or he could back off and do what he came here to do. What was it that he had come here to do? He couldn't remember.

He blinked twice, wet his bottom lip with his tongue, and leaned in to kiss the motherfucking bastard right on his gorgeous mouth.

There was no easing into the kiss gently. It was like a bomb had gone off underneath their feet; suddenly Edward's hands were full of silky, sexy, surfer-like hair and there were teeth on his bottom lip and hips and groins bashing into each other painfully.

No time for the sweet slide of innocent kisses, this was raw and wild and so fucking needy… Edward couldn't remember when he was last this hard, when his balls ached like this within seconds of his lips meeting another's.

Rough hands and strong fingers kneaded his ass as they rocked together, devouring each other with deeper kisses, more tongue, more of those aching, chest shaking moans that made them gasp for breath together, finding a half a second to pull more air into their lungs to keep this going.

Because_ this_, however unexpected it may be, was not likely to stop any time soon.

With no little regret Edward removed his hands from Jasper's hair long enough to grab the hem of his top and broke their kiss for the moments it took to tug the fabric off, up and over, mussing up the already well mussed hair even more. Jasper chuckled as Edward braced a hand against the strong, hard planes of his stomach, caressing it covetously then down lower to flick one, two, four buttons free. Releasing a cock that was already straining against rough denim, red and sore from grinding with no barrier in between.

He was commando.

Edward's mouth watered and even as he licked at Jasper's tongue, he craved the taste of something else.

"We should…" Jasper gasped as Edward suckled on his collarbone.

"Hmm?"

"Go upstairs or something… oh god…"

Edward bit down lightly on a peaked nipple then soothed it better with a wet tongue. "Why would you want to do that?"

"I… uh… fuck. Can't remember. Don't stop."

"Wasn't going to," Edward muttered as he shoved Jasper's jeans down over his hips and attached his mouth to a sticky, wet cock.

A little nagging voice in the back of his head sang something about talking, about working things out, about late night door knocking. Edward ignored it.

There was just something about sucking cock… the weight of it on his tongue, the smell of another man, the smooth, tight ass under his hands as he grabbed on tight. Jasper's fingers were in his hair, guiding his movements and nothing else mattered.

Not yet, anyway.

"Wait - oh fuck - shit, Edward."

Edward hummed his question. His throat was too full of cock to verbalize an answer. The fingers in his hair tightened painfully - he backed off in response.

"What, Jasper?" he demanded. "I was enjoying that."

"Me too," Jasper said, huffing a breathless laugh. "Too much. Come the fuck here."

He was about to protest but able hands were stripping him of his clothes, tossing his favorite Hollister shirt on the floor, battling him out of his own jeans and boxers and spinning him around so he could brace his hands on the smooth wood of what he was sure was a very beautiful dresser, although the action caused something or other to crash to the floor.

He hoped it wasn't expensive.

Jasper's hands ran down the length of his torso, palmed his ass, caressed his flanks as the other man took his turn to drop to his knees.

"Spread your legs," Jasper commanded in a low voice.

Edward hastened to comply.

A warm breath tickled the backs of his thighs, then Jasper's nose nuzzled into the crease where they met his ass. He thought he heard Jasper mutter what might have been 'Oh, god,' but there was no way to be sure. One warm, wet, insistent tongue furrowed its way between his legs, lapping where he needed relief, teasing where he was thrilled to be teased, causing everything to ache deliciously.

"More," he sobbed.

"Shit," Jasper muttered, audible this time. "Stay right there… don't… don't fucking move."

He gasped as Jasper slapped him hard on the ass and let his head drop. Jasper ducked into a door under the stairs that Edward guessed was a small washroom; sure enough, he reappeared only moments later with a condom and small bottle of lube. Edward decided not to ask.

With his erection straining up towards his bellybutton Jasper paused, taking in the sight of his former lover, his ex- boyfriend bent over in his hallway, clothes strewn wherever they had landed after being tossed aside; long, pale legs spread, cock hard, eyes dark and wanting.

He moved into position, sucking on the sensitive skin of Edward's shoulder, lapping the sting and the salted sweat that had gathered there. With teeth teasing an earlobe, then a shoulder, then scraping over the first knob of Edward's spine Jasper decanted the lube onto his fingertips and rubbed it over Edward's hole in ever decreasing circles.

Edward's breath caught and he whimpered.

With less fuss Jasper pressed two fingers in deep, spreading the slick, slimy liquid where it would ease the way for his cock. Edward bucked his hips back, fucking himself on two fingers until Jasper found his sweet spot, then he screamed.

Not loud enough, Jasper decided. He wiped the excess lube off on his thigh and rolled the condom down tight, slicked himself up then with one hand on Edward's shoulder and the other on his hip, pressed forward until Edward's body accepted his intrusion.

"Fuck," Jasper groaned, long and low.

Edward choked "Oh my god."

Jasper found his deepest spot and paused there, taking fortifying breaths and kissing Edward's neck over and over. His thrusts started as gentle pulses of his hips, canting forwards and letting Edward press back, moving together. Finding a rhythm together.

It didn't take long for Edward to drop to his forearms, pressing his cheek against the cool wood as he lost himself in the filthy, crazy slapping of skin on skin, low grunts and deep moans, fingers that were so tight around his hip he was sure he'd wear bruises there in the morning. Reminders that this had happened.

He was fucking Jasper.

Jasper was fucking _him_.

Whatever. It was fucking amazing.

Soon, too soon really, he was cruising along the edge; Jasper was hitting his sweet spot repeatedly and even without his hand on his cock, he felt the stirrings of his orgasm start like a deep heat curled in the base of his spine.

His toes curled against warm hardwood floor and with a gasped warning, Edward's head snapped back, baring his throat to Jasper's insistent teeth as he came so hard his vision turned black, then white, then erupted in a starburst behind his closed lids.

"Oh, god, Edward," Jasper whispered and the shorter, quicker thrusts, followed by a strangled cry told Edward that the other man had come too. Deep up inside him.

For long moments the only sounds filling the hall were gasps for breath accompanied by the thundering of blood rushing through Edward's ears. Jasper pulled out gingerly, placing a soft kiss on Edward's shoulder and sweeping his hand down over Edward's thigh again, then he disappeared back into the washroom to dispose of the condom.

The realization of what they'd done hit Edward like a punch of sickness to his gut. He screwed his face up and groaned a different type of groan. One of deep, dark despair.

When Jasper came out of the washroom, still bare ass naked, Edward was struggling into his clothes.

"This was a really bad idea," Edward muttered as he stumbled, trying to pull his pants back on. "I'm sorry. We shouldn't have done that."

Jasper sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm not. It was great, Edward. Things between us were always sort of… electric.

"I only came over to talk to you," he stuttered. Pulled his shirt on. Took it off again, turned it inside out and put it back on.

"I know. It just happened. We can't take it back, Edward. Let's just go from here."

"I should go."

"Edward," Jasper said, shooting his arm out and grabbing onto Edward's wrist. "Please stay."

Edward took a deep breath, studying the fingers that were wrapped around his pale skin. Swallowed. Looked up to Jasper. "Okay. Fine. Okay."

Jasper smiled easily. "That's all I want."

* * *

_Yoga & PP AN: Can we get a collective sigh! Big thanks to **hidingfromsomeone** for stepping in last minute and for this lovely chapter. She writes a Jacob that you've never seen, and I highly recommend, so click on over to her profile from ours to read **This Mortal Life.** Next week will be **Shoefreak37**! _


	22. shoefreak37

Author's Note: Thanks so much to ArcadianMaggie and ms-ambrosia for all the hand holding and prereading. Thanks to coolbreeze for the super fun brainstorming. :)

~oOo~

Edward fingered the hem of his shirt, wondering if he was meant to take it back off. He felt odd, out of place, with Jasper naked and looking at him expectantly. Why should he feel so awkward when only moments before Jasper had been joined with him in the most intimate of ways?

"Would you mind, uh, putting some clothes on? Maybe, um, we could talk in the living room?" He felt ridiculous for asking, and couldn't look Jasper in the eye. Without waiting for an answer, Edward left Jasper there, finding a place on the far end of the couch. His body ached from the unforgiving way Jasper took him, and he cringed at what he had allowed to happen. He had marks everywhere telling the story of it. Bruises on his hips. Angry red blotches on his arms.

Waiting for what seemed like ages, Edward began looking at the tiny imperfections on the sofa-a small stain here, an unravelling thread there. He picked up a throw pillow and held it to his chest, tugging at the loose strand of woven fabric hanging from it. Without much effort or thought, the seam came undone, stuffing poking from the hole he created. Some things ruined effortlessly.

When Jasper came into the room, Edward did not even have the energy to attempt hiding the tattering pillow. Jasper tilted his head to the side.

"Thanks," he said, taking a seat beside Edward. "I needed an excuse for new ones." He swiped the pillow from Edward's arms and threw it to the floor. "We need to talk." A statement. Not a question.

Edward nodded and attempted to swallow around the trepidation that knotted in his chest. He wanted Jasper, all of him. Not shared, not as a second choice. He felt like a child at a soccer game, waiting on the coach to tell him when it was his turn to play. True, he just had his turn, his body sated, but still, he lacked what he craved.

"Jasper, I-"

"Edward, I-"

Starting at the same time, they both paused, forced laughter filling the suffocating quiet.

"You go," Jasper said, putting a hand on Edward's knee. He sat so close. Too close for Edward to say what he needed to say. He took a deep breath and stood up, taking a seat on the edge of the coffee table.

"Jasper, I think this was a mistake." Jasper opened his mouth to respond, but Edward cut him off. "I thought I could share you. I thought, even a piece of you, moments of your time, would be enough, but it's not." He took a deep breath.

"Edward, I can't..." Jasper put his hands out, palms up, his expression sad. Edward could practically see that curator's face haunting Jasper's brain, goading him into keeping separate from Edward.

"Look, you came to my home last night, out of your mind with jealousy, and you honestly believe that I should be made to live with the same feeling because I...what? Fucked up five years ago? Hurt you? Broke your heart?"

The expression on Jasper's face turned from downtrodden to angry. "Yes, it has everything to do with that, Edward." He didn't shout, did not raise his voice. His calm was more frightening to Edward than mania would be. "I was in a mess, and you fucking cheated on me."

Edward stood, wanting to tower over Jasper with his pent up rage. But he refused to shout. Would not.

"You think I wasn't hurting too? I hurt because you did, and you pushed me away, shut me out. Said you needed time. You've had plenty of time now, Jasper, and you're no more sorted out than you were then."

Jasper clenched his teeth, looked away from Edward, exhaled loudly through his nose. "I can't make a commitment to you right now, Edward. I just...can't." Again, he threw up his hands, the anger gone, everything about him exuding helplessness, as though this was not his decision to make. "It's not the right time, Edward. I'm sorry."

God, Edward was sick of Jasper saying his name, the syllables once sounding so sweet turning sour as milk left out too long. He turned his back on Jasper, covering his face with his hands. He could smell sex hovering around him and desperately needed to be anywhere Jasper wasn't.

For a moment, Edward had to fight the urge to grovel, to get down on his knees and beg at Jasper's feet. He couldn't believe Jasper was doing this, choosing practically a stranger, or strangers, over him. It hurt like hell, but he decided to hold onto his anger instead of giving over to the hurt. Jasper had seen him weak enough.

"Well then, it seems we both know where we stand. I think we're even for now. I drunkenly spoke of your meatballs, you threw up in my home." Edward laughed but there was no mirth behind the sound. "Let's just leave it at that. We're partners at work, for a brief time. Only at work. So we're clear this time, we're not on a break, we're not seeing each other casually. We're business."

Edward left. He did not look back.

~oOo~

Hours later, showered and alone except for Matilda, Edward gave in to his grief. He eventually shut off his phone after ignoring six calls from Alice. He couldn't talk about what happened, the ending of a relationship before it had even yet begun. For the second time.

It's not the right time, Edward.

Jasper's words echoed in his head, the truth behind them clear as cellophane, purified water. He had been looking at their relationship through one way glass, acting only on his need to have Jasper, whatever part that might be. When had his self respect taken a backseat?

Sometimes, wanting someone was not enough. Sometimes, the timing can be off. Would the time ever be right? Would Jasper ever stop punishing him?

Edward was not blameless, and he knew it, had acknowledged it long ago. That didn't make him less a human being, did not mean he shouldn't stand up for himself.

Realizing he had stayed up moping all night, Edward opened his windows to the light of a new day. Sunday. His home was quiet and still, a fact he had not noticed with all the agonizing going on in his head. He turned on the TV, hoping for some peace in idle chatter.

A knock at the door made Edward groan. He turned the volume down on the TV and held still, hoping that Alice would be dissuaded. A few moments passed, and Edward turned the sound back up, intent on figuring out what the fuck was going on with Doctor Who. Again, the knocking started, this time more insistent.

Why did people always feel they could just show up at his apartment, any time they damn well pleased?

"Fuck, shit, damn, I'm not in the mood," he grumbled, walking at a quick clip to the door. Matilda sat, still as a statue, eyes wide towards the source of the noise. Edward flung it open and started throwing profanities like confetti. He glanced downward, expecting to see Alice's tiny frame which did not even come to his shoulder. Instead, the area at which he stared held two firm pectorals, molded in a signature tight shirt. Looking up, Edward was met with the startling dark eyes of Jacob Black.

"Still not a morning person?" Jacob leaned against the door frame, the movement pushing the smell of cedar and warm earth in Edward's direction. It smelled of the past. A part of Edward's past that was good.

"Jacob?"

"Yep."

"How did you know my address?"

"Easy. I called and asked your mom. She was blurting it out before I could even touch pen to paper." He laughed, revealing two straight rows of white teeth only accentuated by the tone of his skin.

"Oh." Edward replied, thrown off guard by such an easy answer. All he could manage was that single word and a stare.

"So, can I come in?" Jacob shifted from his casual position to his full height, making Edward wonder what it would be like to be tangled with a man so large. When Jacob and he had been together, he was not so much man as boy, thin and wiry. Edward wondered what had changed him so much. He stepped aside and gestured for Jacob to enter.

Edward remembered he must look a fright, rumpled clothes and messy hair-all proof of his wallowing. Trying to straighten his hair, he asked Jacob what brought him there.

"Well, you didn't call, and I couldn't leave without catching up." He seated himself on Edward's couch, his size dwarfing what had seemed to be a large seat prior. Edward did not miss that he chose to sit in the middle, leaving Edward with the choice of being rude and taking a seat in the recliner, or sitting right next to him. Edward took the recliner, although he was not sure why.

Jacob looked only slightly disappointed. He shrugged and Edward asked, "What have you been up to?" Curious about where all those muscles came from, Edward knew he wasn't asking the question just to be nice.

"I'm a lineworker now, for the local electric company that services the Rez. I was here doing some training, but finished Friday. I'm just hangin' out now, running big city errands for Dad. I'm done learning how to handle heavy equipment and climb poles. I already know how to do those things." He winked, a motion that contradicted the rush of blood to his cheeks. But then again, embarrassment wasn't the only thing that caused a face to flush.

"You've certainly put on some muscle."

"Climbing poles'll do that," Jacob quipped.

Edward couldn't stop the snort that escaped himand thought he must sound ridiculous. He didn't know how, but he found he did not want to wallow around his apartment any longer. Not when he was free to enjoy Jacob Black for the day.

"Wanna take an old friend out for breakfast, Jake?"

~oOo~

"That guy was what had you acting all strange in the coffee shop the other day?" Jacob laughed as though Edward's story of misery was the punchline to a joke. He was surprised to find it was exactly what he needed. Jacob was an outsider, shedding new light on a situation that had seemed horribly grim.

"Yes," Edward replied, smiling. "Wait until you hear what happened later." Edward shared the story of Jasper banging on his door in the wee hours of the morning, the following night when they'd carelessly fucked.

"So you just got laid last night? Man, I would think you'd've been in a better mood this morning."

"Ha! Why should I be?"

Breakfast had turned into lunch, and lunch turned into an afternoon coffee at Edward's apartment. He sat next to Jacob now, unafraid of what might happen.

Jacob put out his hands, not unlike the gesture Jasper repeatedly performed the previous night. From Jacob, however, it was all in jest, smooth and carefree. "It is what it is."

"You don't think it seemed...weak?"

"All depends on how you played it."

"I think it was weak."

"Probably was then," Jacob replied, his attempt at keeping a straight face failing.

Edward grinned at him, rolled his eyes.

"You know what would really show him?" Jacob moved closer to Edward, making the already small space between them fall away with his size.

"What?" Edward asked, knowing the answer.

"If you let me kiss you right now."

Edward parted his lips to respond, but Jacob did not wait for an answer.

Jacob's lips were beautifully familiar, yet his body different. Like finding an acquaintance in an odd place. An old friend at the Taj Mahal. A second cousin at the Louvre. Edward reached out and placed his hands on Jacob's chest, deepening the kiss. He opened Jacob's lips with his tongue, searching out the familiar flavor, coffee and something else.

Unbidden, Edward thought of Jasper, the image of blond hair and pink lips parted in rapture pushing to the forefront of his mind. He wished the unwelcome thoughts away, snaking his arms around Jacob's midsection and holding him close.

Moments forgotten came back to Edward when Jacob cupped Edward's face in his hands. The sweet, tentative first kiss, when they were just learning about one another. Getting caught in rainstorms, heat lightning leading them home. The undeniable fear and joy when he felt he was falling in love. Their first time together, discovering what the other wanted and responded to. Edward remembered taking turns with Jacob: Let's try it this way, How does that feel?, Faster, Softer, Slower, Harder.

Edward could not think of a moment he ever doubted Jacob cared for him. It just hadn't been the right time. Maybe the right time was now. Edward did not know. He only knew he needed to be wanted, without baggage.

"Edward?" Jake said, whispering against Edward's lips. "Could we go to bed?"

Smiling, Edward replied, "Do you need a nap?"

Jacob pulled away and laughed, moving his hands under Edward's shirt, running his fingers across each rib. Edward closed his eyes and groaned.

"Let me take care of you," he answered, the smile never leaving his lips. Jacob's hands travelled to the hem of Edward's shirt, lifting it off, his hot mouth moving to Edward's chest, peppering kisses across his sternum, his nipples.

"Okay," Edward agreed, standing as Jacob took him by the hand, leading him to his own bedroom.

Once there, they began removing each other's clothes, slowly, patiently. Jacob explored each new patch of flesh revealed as though he had been starving, as though he hadn't known Edward's body many times before. Edward felt the same, adored the feel of this new body, thick and strong. Neither man felt hurried as they rediscovered one another, Edward enjoying the new housing for Jacob's familiar soul.

By the time they were both naked, Edward ached. His cock was heavy and full, the one place Jacob had yet to touch. Still, he did not want to rush, reveled in the build up, the anticipation. Knees weak, he could no longer stand, so he fell on his bed, pulling Jacob's imposing form on top.

Jacob kissed him, gently but with purpose. Edward put his hands in Jacob's hair, finding the leather fastener holding it back, taking it out. It fell down in waves, sleek and smooth, creating a false night around them. Edward ran his fingers through, finding it cool and soft, a stark contrast to the hard, hot body on top of him. No longer able to help himself, Edward thrust his hips against Jacob's, finding the friction he craved against Jacob's cock.

"Relax," he said, kissing Edward's nose, his flushed cheeks, his chin. Jacob continued to Edward's throat, down his chest, over his stomach. Skipping his needy erection, Jacob ran his lips over Edward's thighs, the heat of his breath making Edward shudder and whine.

"Jake, please," Edward moaned, unabashedly moving his hips, urging Jacob to touch him.

Jacob looked up at him, eyes dark, hungry. Edward's stomach tightened and he thought he would explode from the look alone. "I've missed you, Edward. Missed this." he murmured, hands caressing the insides of Edward's thighs, the backs of his knees, his hips.

Edward nodded. "Me too." Surprised when he understood how much he meant it. Not knowing how much he had missed Jacob's care. Years and years had passed, Edward having dismissed the feelings for Jake as puppy love, and maybe it was, but it was no less real. No less a thing to miss.

Finally, Jacob ran a single digit across the length of Edward's stiffness, smiling as he fingered the barbell. "This is new," he said. "You went wild, huh? Tattoos, piercings."

"A little," Edward replied before throwing his head back into the pillow, Jacob's feather light touches driving him insane.

"I like it." Jacob fisted Edward's cock, squeezing and moving his hand up and down. Edward let out a surprised moan, then sucked in a quick breath through his teeth when Jacob licked his sensitive frenulum.

The noises Edward made seemed to spur Jacob forward, covering Edward's length with his mouth. He bobbed his head up and down, the heavy strands of his hair covering his face. Edward wanted to watch, needed to see the motions that went along with the slurps and hums that Jacob emitted. Leaning up on an elbow, Edward stretched out an arm and gathered Jacob's hair away from his face, watching Jake enjoy sucking his cock.

Jacob withdrew Edward's stiffness from his mouth, running his tongue all around the top, enticingly flicking the barbell with the tip. "I want to ride you," he mumbled, the licentious vibration of his words against Edward's cock making him dizzy.

"Nnnn, yes," Edward panted, opening the nightstand and bringing out a condom and lube without breaking eye contact. Jacob slipped the condom over Edward's shaft leisurely, as though they had all the time in the world, as though Edward couldn't feel Jacob's erection, rigid and wanting, against his leg.

Rising up on his knees, Jacob coated his fingers. Edward observed him, unable to keep from it, as Jacob stretched his own opening, his head falling back at the pleasure of his own fingers. Edward thought him beautiful, eyes heavy lidded, pink tongue peeking through brown lips, his erection jutting out from the apex of his thighs. God, Jacob was all lean muscle, his arms stretching sinuously behind him, his back arched, every inch of him ripped and shining with a light sheen of sweat.

Edward didn't know if he could wait another moment to fuck him.

"Come here," Edward beckoned. Jacob climbed on top of Edward, lining up Edward's cock to his hole. Inch by inch, he sunk down on Edward's erection until it was completely sheathed.

"Fuck," Jacob hissed through his teeth, a new rush of blood flooding his cheeks.

"Uh-huh" was all Edward could manage in reply.

Jacob began moving, up and down, swiveling his hips. Edward clutched Jacob's thighs, relishing the feel of the corded muscle flex and move as Jacob repeatedly impaled himself on Edward's cock.

"Feels so good," Jacob groaned, gaining speed, his hands on Edward's chest digging in, trying to grip the sweat dampened skin.

It was what Edward needed. To give himself over, to know that he wouldn't regret it in the morning. No heavy "talks" to be had, no broken hearts. Just this. It is what it is.

They both grew more hurried as they chased inevitable release. Jacob's cock slapped against Edward's stomach repeatedly, their skin meeting providing the percussion to the heavy breathing and moans that filled the room.

This was electricity, the current that filled the air, the sensation that filled them both when skin met skin. Something so tangible yet invisible, unbelievable yet completely proven. Edward thought he could get behind it easily. Forget that he ever knew that guy with the blond hair and cowboy boots.

"Touch me," Jacob demanded, and Edward did, gripping his leaking stiffness and coaxing forward his release. Within five pumps of his fist, Jacob was spilling himself on Edward's stomach, hot and thick, nearly burning Edward's flesh.

Edward grabbed Jacob's hips and frantically thrust upwards, one, two, three times before coming in a rush of intensity and euphoria. He shouted several expletives as he filled the condom, his orgasm seeming to last ages after the slow burn that Jacob had put him through.

Jacob collapsed on Edward. He found Edward's lips and kissed him sweetly, lips tasting of salt.

"That was...great," Jacob whispered, still breathless.

"Yeah." Edward laughed, thinking Jacob was understating.

"Edward?" Jacob said, lowering his head to Edward's shoulder. Edward's fingers were lost in Jacob's sweat dampened hair, smoothing it down. How many times had he held Jacob this way, hands in his hair, on his face, and not understood how limited the touches had been? If anything he had learned from Jasper, it was that nothing was consistent. So, he would take advantage of these moments with Jacob, because who knew when the chance might come again.

"Yes, Jacob?"

"Let me stay? Tonight, I mean."

Letting Jacob stay seemed like a bigger deal than simply fucking him. When someone actually sleeps with someone else, it shows trust. Edward didn't want to wake up in a bath tub full of ice, a pain in his side, a phone with a note that said "Call 911." He liked having both kidneys.

But he did trust Jacob. And Jacob offered comfort, comfort that Edward sorely needed.

"Sure," Edward replied. "Hot tea and a shower?"

"Loose leaf or bagged?" Jacob smiled, making everything seem simpler, easier. Like soft, slanted sunlight drying out the storm soaked earth.

"Loose leaf, of course. Never know when the Queen might stop by."

Edward leaned up to find Jacob's lips again, forgetting the tea and the Queen mere moments after their mention.

~oOo~

The next morning, Edward was awakened by Jacob preparing to leave.

"I have a week's vacation before I have to be back," Jacob told Edward. "I think I'll head up to Canada, catch a train, see some stuff."

Edward wondered how Jake could be so carefree. Edward's vacations were meticulously planned. He either took time off to accomplish something local, or (rarely) left town with a strict itinerary. Any time off he had was with a purpose, and scheduled months in advance.

"Where will you go exactly?" Edward asked. Jacob shrugged.

"Canada."

"I know, but where in Canada?"

"Wherever."

Jacob walked to the door. The idea of simply letting him leave made Edward lonely already, but he didn't know what to say. Edward felt certain he wasn't looking for any kind of relationship, not really, and not so soon. With Jacob though, he felt better. Better than he had since laying eyes on Jasper again.

Thinking of work, he imagined the awkwardness that would exist between Jasper and him. The unasked questions, unspoken demands. His stomach lurched. There were many things he wanted to say to Jasper, but nothing that needed to be said. In fact, Edward had done so much prep work for the project they were working on together, he wasn't certain Jasper couldn't go on without him, at least for a few days.

Edward felt the flu coming on again.

He pondered these things as Jacob leaned in to kiss him goodbye.

"I'm going with you," Edward blurted, before he could change his mind, before Jacob's lips met his.

"Excellent idea," Jacob replied.

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_Yoga & PP's AN: So...who else wants to knock some sense into these guys? If you want to read more of **shoefreak37**'s fab writing, check out her awsome (and completed!) Edward/Demetri fic, Tracking Redemption. Join us next time when **coolbreeze** gets her chance with these boys!_


	23. coolbreeeze

**A/N:** Sorry for the posting delay! My turn came up when I was on vacation. Thanks to YogaGal and PerfectlyPersuasive for inviting me to participate and to tuesdaymidnight, ontheturningaway, arcadianmaggie and bsmog for fixing my errors.

Disclaimer: I don't own it, and never will. But if I did, I'd get to say "I'm rich, bitch!"

* * *

oOo

"Alright Jasper. It's time for your come to Jesus moment."

Jasper almost spit his coffee out. "Come to Jesus moment? Really, Alice?"

"Yes, really. If you're going to continue to run your life like a game of 'guess who's in my mouth' I will need to stage an intervention."

"Jesus Alice, you're acting like I'm some kind of man whore." Jasper looked around to see if anyone was listening to their conversation. Alice wasn't exactly known for her demure nature. Thank god the cafe was loud today. "It's just been Riley and Edward."

"Well, honestly Jasper, that's enough. You need to really decide what you want here." Alice took a breath to ingest the coffee she really didn't need.

"Alice, you're acting like I'm being irrational. I just don't need to be tied down by anything right now. Riley is a good distraction and Edward...well, Edward is complicated."

"Complicated? Why is it complicated Jasper? Yes, 5 years ago it was complicated. Hell, 5 years ago it downright sucked, but now, you can't say he's not trying."

Jasper tried to interject, "But - "

Alice immediately cut him off. "But nothing, J! This is ridiculous. It's clear you like the man. Hell, I may even go so far as to say love. But right now, your own stubborn attitude is getting in the way of all of that."

"Okay, so perhaps you have a point. But it's not like Riley is just some bum off the street. He's a nice guy and we get along really well. I can't be in a committed relationship right now."

"Jasper you know I adore you and I can see you're having fun with Riley but he's just a temporary void to fill the hole that Edward left."

"That's-"

Alice cut him off once again. "I swear Jasper if you're going to make a 'that's what she said' joke..." She raised one eyebrow and glared at him.

"Well, at least now I see where Bella got that raised eyebrow trick from."

Alice couldn't help but laugh. "Well, she does learn from the best."

"Please try and remember that she's eleven going on twelve, not twenty-four."

"Yeah yeah yeah." Alice lowered her head and ran her fingers through her hair. "Okay, back to business, funny man. If you take away the history you and Edward had, would you want to be with him?"

Jasper had to stop and think. Would he want to be with Edward? How would he fit into his life? Would he think of Bella as family at some point? She had been through enough with his own antics and Peter's.

But, hadn't Edward been there through the worst part of her life? And minus what he did to Jasper, he was always good to Bella.

Of course, Jasper's mind took off in thought and he remembered Edward and the meatballs, which in turn, led to a silent moment of humor in his head.

Plus, sexually they were dynamic. The things Edward could do with his tongue on Jasper's balls of meat...

"Earth to Jasper." Alice snapped her fingers in front of his face.

Jasper shook his head. "Oh, uh hi."

"What the hell were you thinking about over there? You had this look that went from wanting to laugh to wanting to jerk off."

He laughed. "Just thinking about some things. I really wanted to give your question some good solid thought."

"Well?" Alice drummed her fingers on the table.

"You have valid points. And yeah, to answer your question, had he not fucked up in the past, there would be zero hesitation. Hell, we wouldn't even be having this conversation because he and I would be together." Jasper gripped onto his coffee cup tighter as he began to come to terms with his feelings.

"Honestly Alice, I do think Edward is the right guy for me, but I'm terrified he'll mess up again. On the other hand, since I told him I couldn't do monogamy, I've felt sick to my stomach and have had the worst headaches of my life for days now."

"He hasn't given you one reason to think that Jasper. Remember? Five years. That's a long time to get over yourself and learn from your mistakes."

"No, you're right. Bella brought him up today too. She said I seemed happier when I hung out with him."

Alice smiled. "She's a very bright girl. She seems to have a natural need to protect those people she cares about. And you deserve to be cared for, you know?

"I really think if you give him a shot, a real shot, not some bullshit 'let's keep it casual' story, the two of you would be each other's missing puzzle pieces." Jasper's eyes went wide. "Oh c'mon, you know what I mean...you two are made for each other. Like lobsters."

Jasper laughed, "I get you Alice. I just like to see you squirm a bit." He grabbed her hand and rubbed his thumb across the back. "Thank you. Really. You're the only one who can give me a swift kick in the ass."

"Anytime, my misguided friend."

Jasper stood up from his chair. "Where are you going?" Alice asked.

"I'm going to go to Edward's house and hope he doesn't slam the door in my face when I say I think I want to give this a real shot."

"One," Alice ticked off her points with her fingers, "how do you know he's home? Call first. But more importantly, I know he's not since I'm his secret keeper."

"What is this? Harry Potter? You can't tell me thanks to a magic spell?" Jasper sat back down in his seat.

"Don't mess with me and Harry, Jasper. No one comes between a muggle and her wizard, okay?" Alice glared. "No, I just happen to know he's on a much needed vacation." Alice took a deep breath before continuing. "He's outside of Vancouver. With Jacob."

Jasper saw red. "With Jacob?"

"You have no right to be mad. You've been with Riley for weeks now. What was Edward supposed to do? Wait?"

Goddammit, cocksucking, fucksticks, Jasper thought. "This would have been good information to have before I went on and on about not knowing my feelings for him."

"Jasper, be an adult. He's with another man because you said you didn't want him. If you want Edward. Go. Get. Him. Just like I said Riley was a space filler for you, Jacob is the same for him. Plus, it doesn't hurt that I confirmed some of this with Seth."

Jasper was still seething, though only a little bit less.

"Seth says that though Jacob will always care about Edward, he knows that's not who he's meant to be with. Plus, Vancouver is only about a 5 hour drive from here, and I also happen to know he's in his current location for at least another 3 days...I'd get moving if I were you."

"What are you saying? I need a grand gesture right now? I just need to show up and profess my desire to be with him?"

"Basically, yes."

"So say I want this address or whatever where Edward is...do you suppose you could write it down so maybe I can revisit it at a later date?"

"Oh please, Jasper." Alice grabbed Jasper's phone and typed away. "I'm creating a note with the campground information. You know Bella isn't coming back for another scheduled visit until next month, so you have plenty of time to deal with this. Now. Go!" Alice shoved his phone back in his hand and promptly stood up from the table.

As Alice made her way past Jasper to get to the door, she whispered, "And try not to fuck it up this time." Alice kissed his cheek and left the cafe.

Grand gesture. Right. He could do this. How hard could it be?

oOo

All Jasper could think as he made the drive on the now waterlogged road was I'm going to kill . Killing would be too nice. Torture might be the best course of action.

Not long after their "come to Jesus" moment at Lucille's, did Jasper find himself packing an overnight bag and jumping into his car and heading north. This could quite possibly count as the biggest impulse decision he'd ever made. Six hours later and no less than four wrong turns even with a GPS, Jasper thought he was getting close to the campground. If he had to hear "re-routing" one more goddamn time he was going to throw the GPS out of the window. Alice told him that Edward's phone probably wouldn't be working but, Jacob really liked the campground they were staying on and tended to keep the same set-up every time he went there. That meant, at least, they'd be easy to find, especially since Seth told Alice that Jacob had a thing for brightly colored tents.

As he neared the entrance to the camp, he heard a loud pop. "Fuck!" he yelled. Moving quickly, he corrected his steering to avoid having the car fishtail. Jasper immediately knew he had blown a tire. He looked in his rear view mirror and sure enough, he managed to run over a nice size, jagged rock.

Lucky for him, he wasn't too far from the entrance of the camp site and the rain had started to let up.

He veered onto the shoulder, which was basically just a bit of gravel and grass. He grabbed his rain coat from the backseat and got out to inspect the damage.

Before he even had a chance to open his trunk and check the condition of his spare tire, he heard someone approach.

"Looks like you have a bit of trouble there." Jasper looked up and saw a man with dark hair and broad shoulders peering down at him from a horse.

"Yeah, blew a tire. I'm sure I can fix it in no time. Thanks though." Jasper turned around to check his spare. Dammit. It was flat. How was that even possible?

"Eh, doesn't seem like you're going anywhere anytime soon. Say, does your phone work out here? If not, I can take you back over to the camp...wait, that's where you're headed right?"

"Yeah, I was trying to find my friend. Well, two of them I suppose."

"Alright, well, like I was saying, I can take you to camp and let you use a phone over there. I normally have mine on me, but it crapped out on me today when I dropped it in a puddle."

Jasper weighed his options. He could either sit in his car, in the rain, with a phone that may or may not work, or he could go with this man and call a tow service. It wasn't exactly a hard decision to make.

"Uh, sure if you don't mind. My name is Jasper, by the way." He extended his hand up toward the man.

"Sam." He shook his hand with great force.

"So this is going to be a bit awkward, but the actual main building for the camp is a few miles in, so that's why I'm on this girl here." Sam motioned at his horse. "You could walk, but I wouldn't suggest it. We've had some bad rain and it's so damn muddy nothing but the big trucks have made it down the main road."

Jasper eyed the big black horse and figured it could be worse.

"Alright, I'm game." Jasper moved to stand closer to the mare.

"Use the stirrups to hoist yourself up." Sam moved his feet forward so Jasper had room for his boot in the stirrup. Sam grabbed Jasper's left hand to help give him a bit of leverage getting up on the saddle.

Jasper swung his right leg over the back of the saddle and held onto Sam's shoulders to steady himself. Surprisingly, the horse didn't flinch at Jasper's rusty attempt of mounting an animal.

Sam put his boots back into the stirrups and gave the horse a small kick. "C'mon Nessie." He clicked his tongue and the horse began to move.

"You said you're trying to find your friend?" Sam asked as they began to make their way into the camp ground.

"Yeah, he and another friend are staying up here. Maybe you've seen them around? Edward and Jacob?"

He felt Sam's body shake with laughter. "Yeah, I've seen them. I've known Jacob forever. He goes on these random vacations and sometimes chooses us as his destination. But Edward is new to me. At first he seemed to be enjoying himself, exploring, sitting at the campfires Jacob made and the like, but now, he just seems to have this certain sadness about him. Nature will do that to you though."

"Do what?" Jasper asked.

"Make you think, bring out things, feelings you thought you buried."

The ride up to the phone didn't take too long but it gave Jasper time to think. He began to doubt coming all this way, especially given the fact that he was on a horse, with a man, fixing a flat tire, six hours from home.

As he became lost in his thoughts he heard a familiar voice.

"I said I'd be back Jacob. I just need a minute to think."

Edward.

Jasper couldn't see Jacob but it didn't matter so much to him now.

Jasper had forgotten how much he missed the sound of Edward's voice.

"Hey, that's your friend, right?" Sam motioned over to Edward.

"Yeah, that's him." Jasper felt his heart begin to race.

"Jasper?" Edward finally noticed them as he came across the clearing.

Sam stopped the horse.

"Um. Hi Edward."

"Jasper. You're...you're on a horse."

"Yup. Sure am." Jasper didn't quite know what to do with himself. He was stuck on Nessie with Sam and Edward was looking at him like he didn't know if he wanted to punch or kiss him.

"Well, what the hell are you doing here?" Edward asked as he crossed his arms.

It was now or never. Jasper found himself gripping Sam's shirt more than he meant to.

"You, I came for you."

oOo

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**Yoga & PP note:** eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! A big thanks to **coolbreeeze** for joining us and having a turn with our boys. If you want more slashy awesomness from coolbreeeze, check out her o/s, **Dark Nights and Better Days**! Up next time is **Ealasaid77** and we can't wait to see where she takes this. How will Edward react?


	24. Ealasaid77

AN: Thanks to naelany for helping preread and beta this chapter and keep me from messing up first and third person too much. Thanks to Yogagal and PerfectlyPersausive for asking me to be a part of this venture.

* * *

"You, I came for you."

Jasper riding in like a knight in shining armor for him nearly made Edward laugh. The fact that he was on the back of the horse looking more like the damsel in distress should have had him in hysterics. Knights in shining armor, however, didn't come for people like Edward, they didn't deserve it. Or, at least that's what Edward believed. This entire day had proven it to him. The universe would always make him pay for his indiscretion, happiness was no longer in the cards.

"I need a minute to think," Edward repeated the same words to Jasper that he'd used to Jacob just a couple of minutes before.

Jasper frowned, and choked down a sob, his heart breaking after he came all this way and Edward still wouldn't talk to him.

"Come on, Jasper, let's find that phone so you can call someone to help with your flat," Sam said placing a hand on Jasper's knee.

"But," Jasper protested and tried to get off the horse, pushing Sam's hand away. Narrowing his eyes at Sam, Edward hoped he kept his hands to himself. He'd already seen the hand he placed on Jasper's knee and after the arguing he'd done with Jacob today he felt justified in his jealousy.

"No, give Edward time to get used to you even being here. Besides, I think he probably needs to talk to Jacob before he talks to you," Sam advised cryptically, making Jasper bristle.

"What are you talking about?" Jasper questioned in frustration before Sam abruptly trotted off.  
Jasper clung to Sam's shirt and looked back at Edward longingly wishing he'd just jumped off the horse when he had the chance. Nessie was taking him in the wrong direction of where he wanted to be.

Why did Jasper have to show up now? Edward thought. Jasper being here only caused more turmoil in his head.

Shaking his head to himself and picking a trail to hike alone Edward let the air clear his mind. Being out in the woods put everything into perspective. There were no distractions here, so he'd had plenty of time to think. Too much time.

Edward hiked the trail for over an hour before he began to let real life creep up on him, forcing him to make some hard decisions.

Concentrating on Jacob first, he couldn't even deal with Jasper being here yet, he wondered if he could live like Jacob wanted. Sex with Jacob was good, comfortable, carefree, warm, just like he was. Edward could wrap himself up in that blanket if he chose to settle with that, however briefly. Jacob didn't want a real relationship with him, he wanted someone when he was in town. Could Edward live with that? Yes, he decided, he could live with it, but not forever. That was one of the reasons he walked away from Jasper.

Thinking about what happened earlier in the day Edward knew he couldn't keep Jacob. Unable to continue on any longer, Edward found a boulder to sit on and prayed it wasn't so wet that it would soak his jeans. That would round out the rest of his bad day, he was sure.

The drive up here with Jacob was fun, laid back, a drive down memory lane. Sometimes though the past should stay there, sometimes you didn't have a future with your past. That's what Edward had come to realize the longer he was out here with Jacob. The two of them had nothing in common anymore, not one single thing, other than their past. Edward may not have ever figured that out had they not been alone so much out here with nature. Although as soon as Edward saw Jacob's and Sam's reaction to each other, he knew he and Jacob had no real future together.

Sam and Jacob had a chemistry that Edward didn't have with Jacob. No, he had had it with Jasper and walked out on it. The kind that makes your heart thump and your blood thrum. Edward punched the rock he was on, enjoying the sting the abraded skin brought. He knew he deserved pain, always would, for having caused Jasper pain.

Blowing out his breath, Edward tried to rein his thoughts back in to Jacob. He'd deal with Jasper later, he had no idea where they stood with him here. His choice to let Jacob stay in his life or not? That was what he needed to focus on.

Edward knew that Jacob knew he was suspicious of Sam the first time they met and each time Sam came around it had gotten worse. Finally Jacob asked Sam, "How's your wife?"

Shaking his head as if he forgot he even had a wife, Sam grinned and replied, "Emily is good. She wanted to know when you'd visit us, but I told her you brought company this time."

"Yeah, tell her next time," Jacob promised. Why can't I visit these people? Edward thought.

After Sam left Edward rounded on Jacob. "Is there a reason I can't meet your friends?" Edward asked, in what he thought was a polite tone.

"Don't get so fucking needy," Jacob snapped back. Huffing in anger, Edward got up and walked away from Jacob before he showed him how needy he wasn't by punching him.

When he'd finally cooled off Edward came back to the campsite to find Jacob looking forlorn. "I'm sorry," Jacob apologized before he sat down next to him. "It's just my relationship with them is complicated." Edward wanted to roll his eyes, it's complicated meant that it wasn't, people just didn't want to speak the truth.

"Are you ever going to tell me?" Edward questioned.

"No, probably not," Jacob answered and Edward dropped it. Easy, fun, light, that's how the rest of their camping trip had gone, up until today. Edward still couldn't stop thinking about his relationships even in the midst of that fun, but at least he wasn't brooding at work or home alone.

Rarely had Edward and Jacob been apart physically even if their minds were a million miles from the other. However, this morning Edward left Jacob long enough to find a shower. When he came back to camp he couldn't believe what he saw. No, that wasn't true, he could believe it, he just didn't want to believe it.

Blinking and rubbing his eyes, Edward watched for what felt like ten years as Sam kissed Jacob. Sam's hands were on Jacob's shoulders pushing him back into a tree. Jacob was kissing him back, their moans joining the sounds of nature around them. They had passion together that Edward and Jacob lacked.

Pushing Sam away finally Jacob declared, "I can't. We can't do this. I came with Edward."

Nodding his head in understanding, Sam said, "I know. Just next time don't bring anyone with you. We miss you in our bed." Bed? We? What the fuck is going on? Edward thought. He was determined to find out his answers today.

Edward didn't speak until Sam was gone, didn't want him to know he had seen a thing. Jacob saw Edward standing there though and looked guilty.

"What the hell was that?" Edward quietly seethed.

"It's..." Jacob started.

"Complicated," Edward snapped cutting him off. "Make it uncomplicated."

"Can we go back to the tent first?" Jacob asked already heading there. He never gave Edward a chance to say yes or no before he was inside.

Sitting on the ground with his head in his hands Jacob waited until Edward was seated beside him. Edward didn't think Jacob was going to say a word, so he prompted, "Sam is a lover?"

"Um, yes and no," Jacob replied.

"Jacob, just spit it out, all of it," Edward said before he lost his patience.

"A few years ago I came here with... with a boyfriend. He was so high maintenance and needy. We had a huge fight and he left. I... I was stuck here by myself," Jacob started and Edward wanted to know what that had to do with Sam. Edward didn't say a word though and waited for Jacob to continue. "I'd noticed Sam around here and thought he was attractive and I noticed him checking me out too, but Sam was married and I was with a boyfriend, a serious one or so I thought."

Looking at Edward for the first time Jacob kept talking, "Emily, Sam's wife, came by after Sam told her what happened to me. She... she made sure I was okay and let me cry on her shoulder. Then Sam was there and he did the same. We formed a close bond after that and," here Jacob swallowed hard, "we started sleeping together. In every town I visit I've had lovers on standby, but nothing has been able to break the bond I have with them."

Edward's mind raced with a million questions. Okay, so maybe it was complicated. "But you're gay," Edward stammered out.

"Yeah, thanks for stating the obvious," Jacob muttered in annoyance.

Taking a deep breath, Edward asked, "What I meant was how can you be lovers with both of them when one of them is a woman?"

"I don't actually fuck Emily, but the arrangement is that Sam and I can't be left alone together either," Jacob answered. "It's not like I'm disgusted by women, I just like men better." Edward shuddered at the idea of being anywhere near a naked woman.

Coming to one conclusion from what Jacob said, Edward stated, "You love them."

"Yes."

"Then why did you allow me to come with you up here?" Edward inquired.

"Well, we'd only seen each other a short time when I was in town and slept together once. I guess I just thought maybe we'd see where this goes. I mean you were my first love, if anyone could break the hold they have over me it would be you," Jacob explained. Edward sighed, he couldn't fault Jacob for thinking that way, it's what he thought Jacob could do for him and help him forget Jasper.

"What do you want from me?" Edward finally asked as the seconds ticked by.

Jacob replied carefully, as if speaking slower would make it less painful, "I want to keep seeing you when I come into town."

To clarify, Edward asked, "Just when you're in town though? No other real contact?"

"Yes. Will you let me?" Jacob asked.

"I don't know. I'll be back, I need to think," Edward answered, wondering how he got caught up in one relationship that didn't go how he wanted to another that was even worse. At least this one was less painful, Edward didn't care as much.

"But..." Jacob tried to stop Edward when he got up.

"I said I'd be back, Jacob. I just need a minute to think," Edward called back to him.

Edward tried to think about what would happen if he stayed with Jacob how he wished. Would he just be giving up his future and happiness? Edward had matured quite a bit over the years and knew he wanted a family, not just an endless string of lovers. Yes, that's what bothered him about his relationship with Jasper, too. He didn't want to be with other people while they were with other people. He wanted someone just for him. Could he ever have that? Ever? Or would he continually be punished for eternity?

Pushing himself off the boulder Edward made his way back to camp. He didn't know what he'd say to Jasper yet, although he did know he was still angry. Edward laid it out there and Jasper ripped his heart out again and again. Jacob never did that because he didn't have his heart to begin with.

Finding Jacob waiting for him, Edward opened his mouth to speak before he was cut off. "I know what your answer will be now that Jasper is here."

"How do you know? I broke up with him for a reason," Edward spat, angry for being told what he thought.

"You did, but even if he wasn't here I still know your answer is no," Jacob assuaged.

Letting go of his anger with Jacob, he conceded, "You're right, it is no. You can look me up next time you're in town and see if I changed my mind, but I doubt it."

Jacob nodded and informed him, "I'm going to go stay with Sam and Emily. You can stay here the rest of the time by yourself or with Jasper. If you don't work things out with him later I'll take you home."

There was no sadness or heartbreak that he was leaving him there, nothing but a small hole knowing the past love they had was gone for good.

Jacob left Edward's side and walked to where Sam stood with Nessie. Jasper was a few feet from Sam watching the exchange between Jacob and Edward. He had no idea what was going on and was more than a little curious.

When Jacob reached Sam, he said, "Take me home." Sam's grin was wide and he mounted Nessie with ease. Jacob followed behind him just as gracefully after having done it many times before, encircling arms around Sam's waist. "I missed you," Jacob breathed against Sam's skin and kissed his neck. Jasper's eyes widened, he probably wasn't meant to hear or see that, but he did.

Sam led Jacob away and Jasper was left staring at Edward. Avoiding the discussion he knew was coming, Jasper asked, "What was that?"

Edward didn't think it was any of Jasper's business, but answered minimally, "Jacob is where he belongs."

Jasper stepped closer to Edward, and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Edward asked.

"For letting you leave, for watching someone else leave you," Jasper tried to explain and hoped that Edward understood because he didn't know if he was making sense.

"First of all, had you not been here Jacob would have left me anyway. I told him to go. Second of all, I had my reasons for leaving you and those haven't changed," Edward pointed out.

Sighing, Jasper leaned in closer to Edward and placed a hand on his cheek. "I didn't know," he stated.

"Didn't know what?" Edward sneered, taking a step back. If he got too close to Jasper now he'd be back in the same position as before, sex, no talking, no resolution, a shattered heart.

Jasper looked down before he divulged, "I didn't know I was already in love with you, too."

"You what?" Edward asked, thinking he heard wrong.

"You heard me, Edward. I love you. I had no idea until you walked away," Jasper explained. Edward knew that no matter how much love they had they still had a lot of work to do if they were going to be together. Love didn't conquer all things, contrary to most beliefs.

"Sit down, Jasper," Edward said and gestured to a chair. Taking his own, he was quiet for some time. "It doesn't matter," Edward finally settled on saying.

"What do you mean it doesn't matter?" Jasper questioned, stung.

"Let me ask you something," Edward said waiting for Jasper. At his nod, Edward inquired, "Did you break things off with Riley before you came here?"

Jasper was surprised and almost lied, but if he wanted anything to continue with Edward he knew couldn't start it with a lie. "No."

"Then it doesn't matter, nothing has changed, Jasper. No, I take that back, I've changed. I want someone that wants to be with me and only me and not everyone else," Edward told him.

"But I miss you," Jasper pleaded.

"Then keep missing me. I told you we were done," Edward sighed.

Angry, Jasper stood and started yelling, "Are you really telling me no after I came to fucking Canada to find you?"

"I am," Edward stated firmly. He wouldn't back down on this again, last time his heart was ripped out.

"I can't believe this. You're telling me no?" Jasper asked, speaking more to himself. "Shit. Now I'm stuck here with no one able to get to my car to fix it for the next couple days because of the rain. What am I gonna do now?"

"Jasper, I didn't tell you that you had to leave, but you need to understand we aren't together," Edward said softly. Jasper just glared at him. Finally Jasper sat down and kicked the dirt, mad at himself for coming here at all. Edward did tell him he wanted nothing to do with him because he was with other people.

"Jasper, I do love you, but I've been punished enough by you," Edward choked out. It was that emotion that had Jasper calming down. Jasper wasn't sure if he thought Edward had been punished enough though and grumbled.

A few minutes later, Edward finally had control of his voice again and said, "I want you to know something. You need to understand. I know I was wrong back then, which I've apologized for and bent over backwards to make you happy because I hurt you. When you pushed me away from you when Peter died that hurt more than you can imagine. If something like that happened to me, I'd want comfort from the one I was with. We weren't serious enough for you to seek me out and I made a stupid mistake, one I haven't made since, with anyone." Edward paused to see if he still had Jasper's attention because this was important.

Jasper's hackles were raised when he thought about that time and wondered why he was even here again. "You see your reaction right now?" Edward questioned and Jasper nodded. "Every single time you're with Riley or anyone else it hurts me just like that. When I see you with him or know you're out without me and with someone else I feel cheated on every fucking time. I'd probably still put up with it because I want you, because I love you. But, now I'm so tired of being punished for it. I want someone to love just me, to spend the rest of my life with and so far you haven't shown me you're that person or want to be that person. I won't take it anymore. I deserve better." Edward knew once he said it, that it was true. He did deserve better and would no longer compromise. His head began to throb, too much thinking, too much talking, too much emotion, began to press in on him.

Jasper was beginning to realize those were the things that he wanted too, but he had a hard time letting go of the past.

* * *

**Yoga & PP note:** Big thanks to **Ealasaid77** for taking her turn with these boys. I think we're not the only ones who hope they can figure out just what the heck to do. If you want some more Ealasaid77, go check out any of her numerous, awesome one shots, including the angsty _Bitter_ or _A Few Minutes Too Late_. Join us next week when **Polkadotmama** (hopefully) sets these boys straight! (well...not _too_ straight!)


	25. PolkaDotMama

**A/N:** Thank you for inviting me to come along on this journey. I also bow down to ArcadianMaggie for her wonderful beta work and for doing so in mere hours so that my oxycodone haze wouldn't affect the end result. Enjoy.

~Posy

* * *

As evening quickly wove its way through the trees, placing their campsite in greater and greater shadow, Jasper made a quick trip to his car to gather his belongings. He was thankful for the silence as he trudged along the sloppy trail, no longer having to hear the ache in Edward's voice.

Jasper knew how that anguish felt. Hell, it had forced him into years of meaningless sex, keeping everyone more than an arm's length away. Like that would protect his heart.

Jasper scoffed at his thought and slammed his trunk much harder than necessary. It felt good though, until his boot squelched in a particularly muddy spot and he nearly landed on his ass.

"Fucking camping. Fucking mud. Fucking Alice," he growled as he righted himself and stomped off as much of the thick mud as he could. "Fucking me," he muttered. With a huge sigh, his mind went right back to where it had been, thinking about the last several years.

He hadn't been truly happy since he and Edward were together, unless he was with Bella. She was the one bright spot in his life and he would do anything he could to protect her. It seemed as though he did a lot of protecting, but what had the protecting really, truly gotten him? A daughter he had a hard time allowing to grow up? She was eleven, and he was still coming to her rescue like when she was five and fell off her bike. He couldn't even allow her to fail at making eggs in the morning so that she could grow and learn how to do it right.

And growth? What growth had Jasper made himself, aside from the number of notches on his bedpost? It was pathetic, especially at his age. And what about Bella? How was his unhappiness helping her? Protecting her? There was really only one thing that was protected: his stone heart.

Stepping into the clearing at the campsite, Jasper saw Edward hunched over the fire ring, blowing on the kindling to coax the flames to lick the logs. When Edward looked up, his green eyes were determined, no longer forlorn. Jasper gave him what felt like a resigned smile and unzipped the bright orange and blue tent. He stepped in, as soon as his muddy boots were set aside.

Jacob could be felt all over the tent, his belongings piled in a corner, even his scent. Edward and Jacob had _been together_in that space. Jasper knew he had no right to be bothered by that. None whatsoever, so he pushed his thoughts away and set up his sleeping bag as far away from Jacob's things as he could.

Back outside, Jasper sat down in a camp chair and watched as Edward opened a tin of beans and set them on a grate over the fire. Hot dogs were speared onto metal skewers and soon Jasper and Edward were cooking a simple meal together in silence.

They ate in silence.

Even under the protection of the dark, they sat in silence.

The only words spoken were when Edward moved to douse the fire and Jasper requested that he be able to sit around it awhile longer. Edward set the water jug down on the earth and turned to settle himself inside the tent.

Jasper sat and stared into those flames, becoming mesmerized by their color and movement. They seemed to blanket so many of the negative emotions he felt on a day to day basis, quieting them so that some harsher truths seemed to pierce through his armor. The crackle of the wood rumbled beneath the sounds of the night life in the trees around him. He felt at peace, for the first time in a very long time, and he wondered how that could be when he saw Edward slip away with his own eyes.

The mournful sound of an owl made him break his gaze on the fire and search for the elusive creature, only to hear it ask, "Whoo? Whoo?" Jasper laughed at his ridiculous thoughts. As if the owl had any recognition of his inner strife, no matter how wizened it might be. But there was really only one answer.

Standing, Jasper started pouring water over the flames when the owl sounded again. "I want to be that person, Edward," Jasper spoke into the night as the last flicker of the fire was snuffed out.

Jasper woke early, the sky just shifting from pink and purple over to blue. He stretched outside the tent and bent down to tighten the laces on his hiking boots, before he threw a small bag over his shoulder. Edward was still sleeping peacefully, and Jasper saw no need to wake him. He'd be able to find the shower without Edward's help, now that he'd studied the map of the park. As it turned out, he got on the wrong trail and ended up at the office instead. He could see a woman inside, her dark hair moving around as if she were busy, so he knocked on the door, despite it being well before office hours.

She answered the door with a smile. "You must be Jasper. I'm Emily, Sam's wife. Come in."

"Thank you and yes, I am Jasper. I got lost looking for the shower."

"Yeah, that's easy to do," she nodded as she started pouring Jasper a cup of coffee, gathering cream and sugar, in case he wanted some. "You needed to take the next trail down, the narrow one just around the bend. But it would have been a wasted trip. Showers are out of order because of all the rain we've had. Our well has been compromised and now we're getting more mud than water through the pipes. You're gonna have to bathe in the river, cold as it is. You'll get cleaner too."

"I wouldn't say it's a wasted trip at all. I got coffee out of the deal." Jasper smiled as he took a sip.

Emily studied Jasper a long time while he tried to pretend to look at the various posters on the wall describing the wildlife found in the park. He attempted to make small talk, asking questions about the land and what he shouldn't miss while he was there.

Suddenly Emily said, "Jacob could never be what Edward wants him to be." Jasper turned to look at her and met her steely stare. "I'm not saying that to be cold or heartless. I just know from what Jacob has said, that Edward needs someone who makes him feel as if he's the center of the world. Jacob isn't the right person because he already found his center here, even if he's tried to deny it for years. We all deserve to be the sun for someone."

Jasper nodded in understanding and looked down at the last sip of coffee in his mug. Swirling it around, he gave a crooked smile that spread to the rest of his face in moments. He wanted the same thing and he had had that at one time. Was he ready to finally take a chisel to the stone around his heart? There was only one way to tell.

"May I please use your telephone?"

***BGS***

When Edward woke up, Jasper's sleeping bag was empty, but his clothes were still there. He wasn't outside, so Edward ate a cold breakfast and brushed his teeth before heading out on the trails, hoping to get lost for awhile. This trip had ended up being something entirely different than he had imagined when he spontaneously decided to go. No wonder planning played such a huge role in his life. This was a disaster.

Yet, Edward was pleased with himself for finally standing up for himself and saying what was on his mind. And he'd done it to both men who seemed to have his heart on tenterhooks. It felt good to finally be free of those feelings, to be allowed to freely blow in the breeze again.

So he hiked and climbed and got lost in the beauty of nature around him, finding out about the man he nearly forgot he was. He recalled camping with his parents as a child, how they'd spend hours on winding trails and then collapse on rocks to rest their weary feet.

Just as he did back then, Edward leaned against a cool boulder with a small sketch pad and pencil in his hand, drawing the delicate lines of a mysterious purple and yellow flower. Behind him, he heard the rustle of leaves. Jasper arrived with the peace offering of lunch and sat down beside Edward without a word. He leaned back against Edward's boulder and rested his head against the stone as he chewed. Edward became uncomfortable, as if he should say something to break the heavy silence, but he had nothing that could seem to breach it, so he pulled his sketchbook back to his knee and continued shading his flower with his pencil.

A meadowlark called, pulling Jasper's attention to the trees. Edward watched him as he scanned the branches, recognizing the moment he saw the yellow breasted bird. Unzipping the small bag at his feet, Jasper dug inside for a few moments before he pulled his own sketchbook out along with a set of colored pencils. Edward couldn't help the smile that spread over his features as he remembered things he and Jasper had in common. They both sat amidst the cacophony of wildlife and drew whatever interested them, from insects to grasses to bark on the trees.

When Edward's bum could no longer sustain his seating position, he stood and repacked his bag, giving Jasper a quick nod before heading back to camp. When he arrived, Jacob was there, pulling his bag of clothes from the tent. His voice startled Edward, having not heard anyone speak since Jasper spoke the night before.

"I'm sorry, Edward."

Edward smiled at him and shook his head. "Don't be. I think it happened just how it was supposed to happen. Now go and be with the two you love."

"But Edward–"

"No, I'm serious. You are where you need to be, but please consider this one thing," Edward requested and waited for Jacob's nod. "Having someone in every city you stop in is never going to fulfill you like Sam and Emily do. It might momentarily fill the void, but that's all those strangers will do. You deserve to feel complete all the time, so allow yourself to be."

"And what about you, Edward?" Jacob took a few steps closer and took his hand.

"I'm in a good place for the first time in years, so don't worry about me."

Jacob studied Edward a good, long time before turning and leaving with his bag. The crack of a stick sounded to Edward's left and he turned to see Jasper standing beside a tree. Silence pervaded the evening, once again, but at least Edward still knew that his own voice worked.

As they both settled into their sleeping bags after dark, they instinctually turned toward each other. The glow of the lantern made Jasper's blue eyes light up and neither seemed to able to look away. Edward saw something there that he hadn't seen in Jasper since before Peter died. He seemed more open, less closed off to the world.

"What did you mean last night?" Edward dared ask. Jasper looked confused. "You said something right before you came into the tent to sleep."

"Oh, that." Jasper just stared at Edward, unblinking. "I guess I was just responding to what you said earlier in the evening. You said that you wanted someone to spend the rest of your life with that loved only you, and you said that I've never shown you that I want to be that person." Jasper raised himself up on an elbow and stroked the bottom of the tent that lay dark in between their bodies. "But I do, Edward. I want to be that person. And you're right; you deserve that. Maybe I'm not the right person for you, but I'm the one who wants to be all those things for you. I'm just not sure how to shed the hurt I allowed to make me into the cold hearted bastard who thought he had a right to make you feel like one of many." Jasper dragged his fingers across the tent floor, pulling them back onto the nylon of his sleeping bag. "What I did to you was so much worse than what you did to me, because I flaunted it. Edward? I'm sorry," he whispered, only remaining on his elbow a moment more before seeming to drop back down to his pillow with exhaustion.

Edward had no idea how to respond and couldn't bear the intensity of his gaze, so he turned his back on Jasper. The lantern was shut off behind him, and he missed the cheerful orange of the tent walls. Only hours before, Edward was feeling in control of his life, and here was Jasper throwing another monkey wrench into the mix.

"Night," was barely heard in the tent and Edward responded nearly as quietly, before rolling to his stomach a burying his face in his pillow.

Again, in the morning Edward awoke to an empty tent and camp site. The day went much like the day before but with more time spent near the river and dodging the random rain showers that had moved back into the area. Edward waded in the water, even if it was chilly, but it was better than going a second day without a shower. As Edward was finishing up making an easy, cold supper that evening, Jasper arrived back at camp covered in mud from head to toe.

By way of explanation, Jasper simply said, "Tire's replaced." Jasper poured some water over his hands and briskly rubbed them to get them clean before rinsing and sitting down to eat. He disappeared without a word after dinner with only his small bag and the dirty dishes in his hands.

Edward made his way down a now-familiar trail to a specimen he noted earlier in the day. He sat down to draw what Jacob had called Indian paintbrush, wishing he had colored pencils or paints to capture the brilliant red of the flowers. When he was finished with the outline that he could complete once he got home, he headed toward the river once again, hoping to find a yellow water lily in bloom.

The sun was just at the top of the tree line, painting the river valley in beautifully, muted light that peeked above and through the leaves from time to time. Edward stepped out from behind a large pine to make his way to the shore when he saw Jasper emerge from the center of the river, throwing his head back, water arching through the air and catching on the rays of sun. He was nude and beautiful and golden bronze in the fading light. Edward froze right in his tracks and he reached for the tree beside him to help keep him steady on his feet.

Jasper was bathing, scrubbing himself with the cool water and occasionally pouring a small amount of wilderness wash into his hands. He turned slightly so that Edward saw the beautiful arch of Jasper's lower back, his muscular ass, his tight stomach. He watched as Jasper created a small amount of suds and washed between his legs, stroking himself a time or two, before he was once again submerged. Edward waited for only a few more minutes, intent on watching Jasper break through the surface to fling his curls back once more.

Edward quickly walked back to the camp and started organizing his belongings. When Jasper arrived smelling clean and looking fresh, Edward gestured to the camp chairs and encouraged Jasper to join him around the newly built fire. They sat in silence once again, each allowing the other to be lost in thought and nature.

Though he didn't realize it, Edward had started humming and Jasper joined in. "What's the name of that?" Jasper asked, bringing awareness to Edward, who hummed a few more bars.

"I'm not sure," he said, looking perplexed. "Maybe it's something I learned at camp when I was a kid.

"You went to camp? What kind?" Jasper asked.

"Boy Scout, if you can believe it." He gave a wry smile. "You?"

Jasper shook his head as he seemed to study the dirt between his shoes. "Bible camp, for more years than I will ever admit to, and I hated every single one."

"I never minded camping with my parents, " Edward shared, "but camping with a group of wild kids was just not enjoyable. In fact, I'm getting anxious to get back to civilization as it is."

"Me too. Now that the car is fixed and unstuck, you wanna leave in the morning?" Jasper asked, his voice sounding hesitant.

Edward nodded. "Yeah."

That night in the tent, Jasper and Edward faced each other and talked. Not about their problems or their current lives, but about their childhoods, both the highs and the lows. They spoke into the darkness long after Edward had turned off the lantern, laughing over shared experiences that happened miles and miles apart. Jasper finally admitted to having a thing for sweater vests because his first crush was his English teacher in ninth grade. The vests were simply connected to that innocent lust he had as he discovered his budding sexuality. Edward told of his hate of gym class because the male teacher had the most beautiful legs and refused to wear long pants even in the winter.

What neither Edward nor Jasper realized as they opened up under the safety of the dark was they were inching closer and closer to each other.

Edward only became aware of it in the morning, when he woke up with Jasper's hand in his own, their sleep plumped lips only centimeters apart. He quickly pulled away, carefully excising his hand so he wouldn't wake Jasper.

He started packing belongings, putting Jacob's gear to the side as he tucked his own away. Jacob had made arrangements to pull up camp himself, after Jasper and Edward left; all Edward had to do was let Jacob know when they planned of leaving. On his way to the office to leave a message with Sam or Emily, Edward smiled at the mere remembrance of Jasper's skin against his own. Just as quickly, he scowled at himself for even thinking such a thing.

"Puttin' your game face on for me?" Jacob teased. "I saw that smile a few steps back."

"What?" Edward questioned, more anger leaking through than he intended.

"Did you kiss and make up with Jasper?"

"That's not really in the cards, Jacob."

"It sounded like you were having a good time together last night when Sam and I were riding past your camp." Jacob raised a brow in challenge.

"We were just talking. I guess, just getting to know each other. But that's not why I'm here. We aren't talking about this. I'm here to say thank you for allowing me to use your gear and for getting me out of the city for a bit, even if it didn't end up how we thought it would. Also, I'm headed back with Jasper today, so…."

"Good luck, Edward." Jacob pulled Edward into a crushing hug. "We'll talk again."

"You take care of yourself and please give my thanks to Emily and Sam." Jacob nodded against Edward's temple. "We'll probably be gone within the hour." Pulling apart, Jacob and Edward walked away, each looking back a few times, but never catching the other in the act.

***BGS***

Jasper had the car packed by the time Edward returned and had only a few questions about what to leave behind. They were able to maneuver the water logged roads without incident and pull onto the highway to head back toward the United States. At the border crossing, Jasper's car was searched, and it took a solid thirty minutes to repack all the items back into the cramped trunk.

Jasper was still seething ten miles into the US, frustrated at how poorly they'd been treated by the boarder crossing guards when they were simply trying to get back into their own country. Just as he was reaching into the center console to search out a piece of gum to help calm his nerves, his cell phone rang, and he asked Edward if he would please answer it.

"This is Edward," he responded to a question and waited. "Oh, hello Bella. Your dad and I ran into each other while on vacation and are headed back to Seattle now." He listened for several beats and then asked Bella to hold. "She is wondering if you could please pick her up and bring her to your house."

"Is she all right?" Jasper asked, hearing the fretful note in his own voice.

"She's fine."

"Let me pull over." Jasper got lost in exiting the interstate and parking before he held out his hand for the phone. "Bella, Pumpkin, what's wrong?"

"_Nothing Dad. I just miss you. I've been trying to call you for days, though. Where have you been?_"

"I was in Canada and didn't have service up there. Are you sure everything is okay?"

"_Yes...but is there anyway that you can come and pick me up so I can stay with you? Maybe I could even see Edward again? We could order take out?_" Her voice was so hopeful, so sincere.

"You can most certainly come and stay here but I'm not sure about the rest. Let me talk to your mom to make sure we're on the same page."

When Jasper finally hung up and was back on the highway, he took a deep breath and prepared for his big leap.

"I'm going to pick Bella up, and I wondered if you'd like to join us for dinner?"

"Oh…uhm."

"Yeah, I knew it was a lot to ask. I'm sorry to throw that out there when we were finally getting along again."

"Don't worry about it Jasper," Edward said but then remained silent.

The quiet permeated the car like a wet blanket and Jasper felt like shit. "He doesn't trust you," he believed he only thought, but apparently it slipped past his lips as well.

Edward turned to Jasper and sighed. "Do I have any reason to trust you? You rode up like a white knight to tell me you wanted me, but you forgot one little detail. But it wasn't little to me at all. In fact, it was a glaring detail. A deal breaker."

"Riley." Jasper said without emotion.

"Yeah. Riley. How could you forget?" he chided.

"Easily, it seems," Jasper said, looking Edward right in the eyes. "He's really not important."

"Important enough for you to keep on the side, just in case I turned you down after you chased me up to Canada," he challenged.

"Is that what you think? That's why you think I didn't get rid of Riley before I came? Geez Edward. You think so little of me!" Jasper was angry, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Just ahead, Jasper saw a rest stop and pulled in, turning in his seat to face Edward.

"Do you even care about the real reason, Edward? Or are you just going to make things up and never let me explain myself. Though, it's fitting isn't it? I never allowed you to explain yourself years ago."

Edward at least had the decency to look apologetic as he said, "I do care about the real reason, and I'd like to hear it."

"I didn't cut Riley loose because I didn't give him a moment's thought. As soon as Alice told me where you were headed, I packed, jumped in my car, and left. I didn't think of Riley for even one second until you brought him up.

"Riley was a diversion. He made me feel young and carefree. He didn't remind me that I was a complete fuck up every time I looked in his eyes." Jasper sat back in his seat and wearily rested his head, grasping onto the steering wheel with both hands and staring straight out the windshield. His voice was cold. "Every time I looked at you, I saw apology and regret. I saw a man aching from my inability to reach out and say 'I need you' when I needed him most. That didn't feel good at all, so I took the coward's way out and hid behind Riley."

Jasper leaned his forehead on his hands and turned to see Edward staring intently at him. "I don't want Riley or anyone else to ever block you out again. But I know I'm too late. I saw it in your eyes my first night in camp. You're no longer emotionally available. Thankfully, you've stood up for yourself, but I saw the armor go up that night. I'm very familiar with it since I've got a nice set of my own."

"At least you still have someone back at home," Edward said into his hand, muffling the sound as Jasper merged with traffic.

"Don't you get it, Edward? You! I want you. I don't want anyone else." His voice was resigned.

More silence filled the car, broken only by the high priority message alert on Jasper's phone. "Would you be so kind as to read the message for me, Edward? It might be Bella."

Edward reached for the phone and clicked a few buttons, only to remain quiet after he'd finished reading.

"What does it say?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Edward asked, shock evident in his voice. "Why didn't you say you broke it off with Riley?"

"Would it have mattered? You would have simply thought I did it to appease you, which would only make you wonder if we ever got together. Did I do it so I could have you or did I do it because I wanted to? I broke it off with him because I finally saw what I was doing to my life."

"When?" Edward wondered.

"My first full day at the campsite."

"And you were silent," Edward allowed his words to hang in the car.

"If we're to ever be together again, Edward, I want it to be because we both need and want to be. Not because of guilt or penance or simply sexual desire. I'll want you to be the center of my world."

The only sound in the car for the remainder of the trip was from the music pumping out of the speakers. Seattle's skyline came into view and Jasper decided to ask one more time. "Would you care to join Bella and me for dinner tonight? Just dinner, and I'll drive you home."

"I'm exhausted...but yes, I'd like that." Edward finished after an excruciatingly long pause.

***BGS***

The moment Bella buckled her seatbelt until they arrived at Jasper's, she spoke non stop, asking Edward question upon question. Once inside the house, Jasper insisted that Edward take a few moments to shower so he could feel like he'd reentered the civilized world again. He protested, but finally conceded when Jasper placed the fluffy soft towel in his hands.

The hot spray felt amazing on his sore shoulders and neck. Edward vowed to avoid camping with only a sleeping bag again. He was no longer seventeen.

When he arrived in the kitchen, there were several take out menus scattered across the counter. "You guys decide while I go get cleaned up," Jasper said, leaving Edward and Bella alone.

"Do you want a pop?" Bella asked as she opened the fridge to get one for herself.

"You mean a sodiepop?" Edward teased, only to get a dramatic eye roll from Bella. "Sure, I'll have whatever you're drinking, even if it's bad for me."

Bella opened the refrigerator door wide to show Edward the selection, and Edward saw how much food Jasper had sitting on the shelves. Rounding the counter, Edward pulled out vegetables, cheese and fruit and set them out. After a few more minutes of rummaging around the cupboards, Edward turned to ask, "Where do you keep the knives again?"

She pointed and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm cooking. We need to use this stuff up now or it's just going to end up in the trash. I'm not a huge fan of throwing perfectly good produce away. Now wash up so you can be my sous-chef."

"Your what?" Bella asked as she lathered.

"Sous-chef. My second in command, if you will."

By the time Edward heard the shower turn off, he had Bella just starting in on dicing tomatoes. Edward busied himself at the stove, caramelizing onions. A loud gasp pulled his attention to Jasper, who stood there with a look of horror on his face.

"Is everything okay, Jasper?" Edward followed his gaze and noticed he was staring at the knife in his daughter's hand as she concentrated on dicing the tomatoes into even cubes. "She's doing great, isn't she?"

"Can we get her a dinner knife to cut with, instead?" he asked in all seriousness.

"Uhm…no. Have you ever tried to dice with a dull knife, especially a tomato?"

"She's only eleven, Edward. She could slip and cut herself."

"Dad, it's not that big of a deal. I know how to use a knife." Bella interjected, looking down at the beautifully cut vegetable as if to prove her point.

"I'm sorry Jasper," Edward started. "I didn't even think it would be a problem. I started cooking with my mother when I was young and was cutting produce by the time I was nine. It was a huge presumption." Edward walked to Bella's side to take over the knife work, but Jasper stopped him.

"No, Edward. She can do this," he said, sounding as if he were working very hard to convince himself.

"Yes I can, Dad. Besides, this is a lot easier to use than the X-acto knife that Mom and I use when we scrapbook."

"Your mother lets you use an X-acto knife?" Jasper asked with shock clearly evident in his shaky voice.

Edward had to turn away from the pair to conceal his laughter. Jasper had always been protective of his Bella, and here that fierce nature was still evident. Though it seemed to be what some might call over-protective, if he never allowed her to use anything sharper than a butter knife.

"Edward, you didn't need to cook." Jasper chided in what seemed like a calculated change of topic. "This was supposed to be much deserved rest for our weary bodies, not more work. But thank you."

"It was our pleasure, right Bella?" Edward said with a wink. "Now, get out of the kitchen and leave the chefs to their work."

"Yeah, Dad," Bella said and then snickered into her shoulder. "You can watch, but you can't help. This is all Edward and me. And no worried noises either."

Jasper watched as Edward and Bella worked together to make the meal, occasionally catching Edward's eye when he would stand to get a better view of something Bella was doing over the open flame of the stove. Edward noticed the surprised look on Jasper's face when everything was presented on the dining room table. He ooh'd and ahh'd as he took bites of the food his daughter worked so hard at preparing and Edward gave as much credit to Bella as she deserved.

"Listen guys, I'm going to do the dishes," Bella offered. The stunned face on Jasper was enough to rip a laugh out of Edward's chest, but Bella remained poised and self assured. "I'll join you in the living room after a bit, so please go."

Edward wiped his mouth one last time with the cloth napkin and stood, leading Jasper into the living room. "She's really grown up, Jasper."

"Thank you for that."

"For what?" Edward asked, confused.

"For all of that. You showed me how much she's truly capable of. Sometimes I forget that she is growing up because it happens so gradually. Every so often something like this serves as a good wake up call."

"You're welcome, even though I didn't realize I was doing anything."

"She's been my focus for so long that I can be a tad blinded to things around me that are completely obvious to others," Jasper admitted in a rare moment where he allowed his meaty center to be seen. "That includes what's been going on with you recently. I didn't really see what I was doing to you because I was so focused on making sure I wouldn't ever hurt again. But to never hurt again...that's a fallacy. Numbing myself was more painful in the end. Especially once I truly saw how I hurt you."

"Jasper, I don't know how to respond to things like this," Edward whispered after more moments of silence. It seemed to be their new soundtrack. But at least the silence allowed both of them time to think. It was better than immediately jumping to sex or shouting, even if the quiet moments seemed to stretch into aching infinity at times.

"You don't have to say a thing, Edward. I'm not looking for an answer from you. I just want to share the things that I've been mulling over because you deserve to know."

Jasper's smile lit up the whole room and he leaned closer to Edward so he could push a stray strand of hair behind his ear.

Bella walked in and saw the look on her father's face, a look of utter joy. There were no weary lines on his face, no tense shoulders or tightened jaw. Her dad's thumb traced along the dark line of Edward's eyebrow, down the shadowed line of his whiskers, to the corner of his mouth. It nestled into the tiny crease below Edward's lower lip, and Bella watched as Edward's eyes fluttered shut. Her dad traced Edward's full lips with the pad of a finger, licking his own as if his mouth were suddenly very dry.

She held her breath, waiting for her father to seal the deal, to press his mouth to Edward's and finally admit how much he loved the man he never let out of his heart. Tip toeing backwards to the kitchen, she saw the strain in her dad's eyes as he seemed to be memorizing Edward's face.

His hand dropped away and she heard her father whisper, "I'd better get you home."

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**Yoga & PP note:** Apologies for the delay in posting...both of us were away this weekend. But don't you fret. Not only are we here now, but we updated with an awesome chapter by the super talented **PolkaDotMama**! We absolutely love her slash and if you'd like more, check out her fabulous completed story, _Sketchbook Revelations_. Leave Posy some love and let her know what you thought of her turn with our boys! And please join us next week when **Meikela** takes these fellas for a spin!


	26. Meikela

_Meikela A/N: A big thank you to YogaGal and Perfectly Persuasive for inviting me to participate in this story. It's been a while since I've written anything that isn't from a cat's POV or for a dissertation, so I hope I did it justice. A special thanks to the incomparable ICMezzo for editing this chapter on super short notice!_

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"I'd better get you home," Jasper whispered. Edward roused himself from the state of peaceful bliss he'd fallen into as Jasper's thumb traced over his face. He wanted so desperately to believe Jasper's words, to open his heart to the man standing before him, but he couldn't be taken in by mere words any longer. While he believed Jasper was finally willing to let go of the past, ironically, now_ he_ was the one building a wall to protect himself. Stepping back slightly, he opened his eyes and gazed directly into Jasper's deep blue eyes, then nodded.

"I think that would be best," he whispered back. Glancing over Jasper's shoulder, Edward watched as a Bella retreated through the kitchen doorway. It was a good reminder that there was more at stake here than just his heart. "Let me call a cab. You can't leave Bella here by herself and I don't want to interrupt your time with her any further."

Jasper's heart clenched as he realized that he didn't know if he would ever see Edward again, other than in a purely professional capacity.

As Edward retrieved his phone from the duffel bag he'd left near the door, Jasper broke the silence that had fallen across the apartment. "Edward? Please…"

Edward stood up, phone in hand, and turned to face Jasper. "Please, what?" he asked, willing himself to stay strong despite the broken look on Jasper's face.

"Please tell me that this isn't the end for us. Tell me you'll give me a chance to prove to you that we can work? I need…" Jasper's voice broke. He took a moment to clear the emotion from his throat, and started again. "I need you in my life. I can't stand the thought of not trying to make this work."

Edward sighed and fiddled with the phone in his hand, desperately attempting to gather his thoughts. A large part of him wanted to walk over to Jasper, pull him into his arms, and declare his feelings for the man that had both captivated and tortured him for most of the past six years. But Edward knew that if he said yes, they'd be back where they started, lost in a haze of lust and not really fixing any of the issues that had gotten them to this point.

Taking a deep breath, Edward looked up at his former lover and said quietly, "I need some time, Jasper. And I think you do, too. Unfortunately, we can't just erase the past and start over as if nothing happened. We both need some time by ourselves. Because if we do decide to try to make this work, it's not going to be easy. We're going to have to reopen old wounds in order to heal them. I need to know that you are willing to put the work in to fix this mess that we've both created."

Jasper watched as Edward crossed the room to stand in front of him. He nodded solemnly and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Edward's finger across his lips. "I don't want an answer now. Think about it. Go, spend time with your daughter, and I'll call you next week after I've caught up at the office." Edward hesitated, then hugged Jasper tightly, savoring Jasper's masculine scent in case it was the last time he held the man in his arms. "I'll talk to you in a few days. Tell Bella I said goodbye," he whispered in Jasper's ear before releasing him and walking out the door. He'd call for a cab downstairs, knowing that another second spent in Jasper's company would only weaken his already crumbling resolve to do what was best for both of them.

***BGS***

Jasper stood frozen in the living room, watching as the only man he'd truly ever loved walked away. Edward's words; however, gave him hope that this wasn't over, that they could get through this and develop a relationship built on mutual trust, respect, and above all, love. The sound of Bella's vampire bunny slippers crossing the hardwood floor brought Jasper from his trance and he turned towards his daughter, who approached him cautiously.

"Did Edward leave?"

Jasper nodded and replied, "Yes, sweetheart. He needed to get home; he has to work in the morning. He said to tell you goodbye."

"Are you okay, Dad?" Bella asked hesitantly.

Jasper put on a brave face and smiled, despite the fact that his heart was breaking. For now, he'd do what Edward asked, and enjoy the time he had with his daughter. "I'm fine, honey. How about we watch a movie?"

Far more intuitive than most eleven year olds, Bella moved toward her father and wrapped her arms around his waist. "It'll be okay, Dad. He loves you and you love him. It'll all work out in the end."

Jasper leaned down and pressed a kiss against Bella's forehead and wished with all his might that she was right. Oh, to be eleven again and believe that love conquered all. Unfortunately, life had taught him that love couldn't solve everything and after taking a moment to hope that his daughter never had to learn that lesson, he released her and sent her off to pick out a movie.

Hours later, after experiencing Bella's Beiber fever first hand while watching an interminable documentary about the teen idol, Jasper walked through the apartment, picking up the remnants of movie night and locking the front door and windows. As he passed Bella's bedroom, he opened the door and looked in to find her sleeping peacefully, her arms wrapped around the now ratty teddy bear he'd gotten her years prior. As he closed the door and headed to his own bedroom, he knew that sleep would be harder for him to find.

As he readied himself for bed, Jasper reflected on Edward's remarks. At the time, he'd wanted to tell Edward that he was ready now, that he knew deep down that Edward was it for him, and that he'd do whatever it took to make a relationship between them work. But in the dark of night, he knew Edward was right. Jasper had a lot of growing up to do and until he knew exactly where and why it had all gone so wrong, he had no business being in a relationship.

Turning on a lamp, Jasper sat up, reached into his nightstand, and withdrew his journal. He'd kept one for most of his adult life, but wrote in it infrequently. As he flipped through the pages, he began reading snippets of entries that spanned from the start of his relationship with Peter to his recent confusion between Edward and Riley. As he read through the journal, Jasper realized that after Peter, he'd never allowed himself to trust again. He'd allowed Peter to control him through most of their relationship, tiptoeing around his allegations of infidelity and his jealousy of Jasper's career. When he'd finally left Peter, he'd vowed to never let anyone in again, and that's exactly what he did. Edward never stood a chance five years ago, because Jasper wouldn't let go of the fear and insecurity he carried over from his previous relationship.

As he skimmed through the entries around the time that Peter died, he realized how he'd basically pushed Edward out of his life. Edward had tried time after time to get Jasper to let him in, but he'd just kept closing the other man out.

More importantly, Jasper began to realize that after Peter, he'd no longer had faith in himself. His decisions regarding his personal life and his unwillingness to fully commit to anyone all stemmed from an internal belief that his own feelings couldn't be trusted. He'd loved Peter and that didn't work, he'd loved Edward and Edward cheated. His lack of confidence in his own judgment led to a vicious cycle of expecting the least from his relationships and being unsurprised when those expectations were met.

Jasper ran a hand over his face and sighed. Now that he understood this, how did he even begin to fix it? It had to be fixed, because he could see now how his lack of faith in his decisions was affecting his relationship with Bella. He didn't even have confidence in himself as a parent, which was probably why he was so overprotective of the girl. If he didn't change his ways, he'd end up pushing everyone away, including his daughter, who he loved more than life.

Jasper placed the journal back into the nightstand and looked up to see his reflection in the mirror above his dresser. His face looked bleak as he realized he couldn't fix this on his own, that he didn't even know where to begin. This meant that Jasper was going to have to set aside his pride and do the one thing he never thought he'd do, ask for help.

***BGS***

Edward paced his living room and spilled his guts to the person he trusted more than anyone else in this world, his mother. When he arrived home, he unlocked the door and ran straight into a startled Esme, who hadn't expected him to return for another two days. Edward called her the week prior to ask her to care for Matilda in his absence, and while she refrained from asking her son what was going on, Edward knew she was dying of curiosity. Edward wasn't one for taking unplanned vacations, so he knew his phone call probably worried her. After making one of the hardest decisions of his life, Edward was glad for her presence and told her everything, from the first time he met Jasper, his decision to sleep with Garrett, his relationship with Jacob, his recent attempt to reconnect with Jasper, and what happened at Jasper's house tonight.

"I don't know if I'm doing the right thing," Edward said, his despair evident in every movement. He turned to face his mother, hands pulling at his hair, desperate for validation that he made the correct decision. It nearly killed him to walk away from Jasper, not knowing if it was the end or the beginning of their relationship. "What if he decides that it's too much? What if he doesn't want to relive all of the hurt and pain just to have a relationship with me?"

"Sit down, Edward," Esme ordered, tired after a long day of work and irritated by her son's inability to see his own worth. Esme had always been direct and she didn't enjoy seeing her son torn in shreds by this Jasper person. She nearly smiled; however, as he looked at her with a shocked look on his face and plopped down immediately into a nearby armchair. Edward had always been a momma's boy and it was nice to see that that hadn't changed.

"Let me get this straight. You broke up with Garrett, the prick, and immediately starting dating Jasper. Instead of getting to really know each other, you basically spent your time getting into each other's pants. Jasper's ex died, he pushed you away, and you slept with the prick again. You spend the next five years beating yourself up for doing so. Then you see Jasper. You apologize, ask for a second chance, he gives it to you but refuses to give you a commitment. Instead of telling him that this doesn't work for you, you go along with it while getting jealous and insecure while he sees other people. When you finally get the balls to tell him that you don't want to just date him casually, you run off to Canada to screw around with Jacob until you find out he's in love with someone else. Then Jasper rides up on a horse and declares that he wants you and only you, but you don't believe him. After spending some time with him, you decide that you do want to be with him, but you want some time to think about it first." Esme lifted an eyebrow and looked directly at her son. "Is that about right?"

Edward nodded and looked at his mother eagerly, hoping she would give him the advice he was so desperately seeking.

"Jesus Christ, Edward. Are all gay men this fucked up?" she blurted out and then winced as her words replayed in her head. "What happened to going slow? Taking the time to get to know someone before falling into bed with them? It's no wonder this is such a mess." Esme took a deep breath and then glared over at Edward. With a quick motion that Edward didn't catch until the last second, his mother launched a throw pillow with eerie accuracy at his head. "What's wrong with you? Didn't I teach you better that this? You are a wonderful man, Edward, with so much to give. Why are you selling yourself short?"

Esme watched as her son stared back at her with a confused look on his face. Sighing, she clarified it for him. "You slept with Garrett because you thought you weren't good enough for anyone else, am I right? When Jasper pushed you away, you figured that it was going to happen eventually, so when Garrett showed up you fell for his bullshit. You've always thought that your partners were better than you, Edward. But son, you need to see that you are just as important as they are. And I think your decision tonight tells me that you've finally figured that out. So, yes, you made the right decision. If this Jasper person doesn't think you are worth fighting for, then he's not worth your time."

"You're right," Edward replied, with a self-deprecating smirk.

"Of course I'm right," Esme retorted. "I'm your mother, I'm always right." They sat in silence for a moment before Esme spoke again. "What you need to do, Edward, is forgive yourself for sleeping with Garrett. It's over, you've learned your lesson, and you're a different person now. If this thing between you and Jasper is going to work, you're going to have to go back and start at square one. You both need to learn who you are now and let go of who you were then."

Edward sighed, but nodded. "I love him, Mom. I'm scared that this won't work and then what? I'm tired of hurting over him."

Esme patted the cushion next to her and waited for her son to sit beside her. Pulling him into her arms, she rubbed her hand across his back and said, "You can't hurry love. No, you just have to wait. Love don't come easy, it's a game of give and take."

Edward pulled back, snorted, and then threw his head back as he laughed louder and longer than he had in weeks. "Seriously? You're quoting the Supreme's?"

"What? It's good advice!" Esme defended, snickering. "Look, I'm tired, it's been a long day, and your cat hates me. Every time I come here she hacks up a fucking two ton fur ball. You already did what you needed to do; you just wanted someone to tell you that you were right. So, Edward, you're right. Now, I love you, but all I want to do is go home, take a bath, sleep with your father, and then go to bed." Esme stood up, gathered her things, and walked towards the door.

Edward followed her, shaking his head, amused as always at his mother's directness. "I love you, Mom."

She pulled him into another quick hug and replied, "I love you, too. Next time, though, get a pet sitter." With a wicked grin, she opened the door and added, "Call me next week. I'm dying to know what happens next."

***BGS***

Edward returned to the office the next morning resolved to lose himself in his work. Luckily, he managed to arrive early enough to avoid Seth and any unwanted questions about his time away. As he settled into his routine, he was pleased to find he was able to focus and finish most of the everyday tasks that accumulated in his absence. Three hours after he arrived, Edward decided to brave the outer office to satisfy his need for caffeine. Knowing that Seth typically took his break around 10:15 a.m., Edward opened his door hoping against hope that Seth was away from his desk. Instead, he found Seth amidst a rather unprofessional embrace with Alice. Clearing his throat loudly to make his presence known, the two jumped away from each as if on fire.

"Good morning, Seth. Alice, so nice to see you this morning," he added with a wry grin as the two lovers focused on righting their clothes. "Alice, are you here on business or for more…personal matters?" he asked as if he hadn't just caught the two of them mauling each other. Looking chagrined, Seth sat down at his desk and looked over to Alice, hoping that she would be able to sweet talk his boss into forgetting what he'd just witnessed.

Alice grinned, ignored Edward's comment, and replied, "Actually, I came to see you. I just got a little sidetracked. Do you have a moment?" she asked, her expression becoming serious.

"I was just headed to the Starbucks across the street for a caffeine fix. You can join me if you have time," he responded, knowing full well that Alice probably wanted to grill him about his time with Jasper in Canada.

After placing a quick kiss on Seth's cheek and whispering that she would see him later, Alice followed Edward to the elevator. The two remained quiet as they traveled to the first floor and out of the building. Once they'd ordered their drinks and found a small table tucked into the back corner, Edward steeled himself, waiting for the inquisition to begin. He was not planning on telling Alice anything, deciding that the events of the past week were best kept between Jasper and himself. As much as he loved Alice, adding another person into the already tempestuous mix wouldn't be helpful.

Surprisingly, Alice had no desire to question Edward about his time away. Instead, she leaned in, squeezed the hand that wasn't clutching his coffee cup like a life preserver, and said, "I'm sorry."

Edward looked at her questioningly and asked, "For what?"

"Well, I talked to Jasper last night…" Alice began and Edward quickly interrupted.

"Alice, I appreciate what you are trying to do, but I think that it would be better if Jasper and I worked this out on our own."

Alice nodded, then said, "I agree. That's why I'm here. I spoke with Jasper last night and he basically said the same thing. I just wanted to apologize for getting in the middle and sending Jasper after you."

Alice looked down at the table, then shrugged her shoulders. Looking up, she continued. "Edward, I had the best of intentions. I've thought for years now that you two are perfect for each other and it frustrates me to no end that all of this bullshit has gotten in the way." Alice waved her hands in the air and emitted a frustrated groan. "It's just that I'm a fixer, and I love you both so much. I let that love get in the way of doing what was right and staying out of it. However, as of today, think of me as Switzerland. I have no opinion one way or another."

Edward snorted. "Alice, I know you. You always have an opinion. You wouldn't be you if you didn't. But I appreciate your willingness to keep it to yourself while Jasper and I determine what's next for us."

Alice smiled and scoffed, "_Moi? _Opinionated? Never!" Alice placed a hand over her heart and said, "I'll do my best, that's all I can promise."

The two friends smiled at each other affectionately and finished their drinks as Alice filled Edward in on her developing relationship with Seth. Edward listened as his friend extolled the virtues of his assistant and let Alice know how happy he was for her. As they got up to return to their respective office, Edward bent down to give Alice a quick hug. When they parted, Alice turned, and while walking backward called out, "If you find that you _need_ an opinion, Edward, you know where to find me." She winked at him mischievously and disappeared into the crowd.

***BGS***

Edward made his way back to his office via a circuitous route that took him directly past Jasper's temporary workspace. He rationalized his actions by telling himself that he wanted to make sure the other man had made it safely to work, but deep down he knew that he just wanted to see Jasper's face, if only for a moment. But right before he reached Jasper's office, he turned off and headed back to the elevators and his own office suite. He'd asked for a week and he be damned if he was going to break down on the first day. He'd meant what he said the night before and even though it was killing him, he had to stand by his convictions.

With a heavy heart, Edward returned to his computer and the stack of electronic proposals requiring his approval. His cell phone sounded an alert that a new text message had arrived. Unable to resist, Edward grabbed his phone from the desk and looked down to see who the message was from. When he saw the sender, his eyes widened and he immediately opened the message.

Apparently he wasn't the only one whose resolve was wavering.

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_**Yoga & PP AN:** So, I guess it takes the ladies to get our boys headed in the right direction, huh? Leave** Meikela** some love for this great chappie and please check out her other stories, like **Southern Charm** which is complete, y'all! (See what I did there?) _

_Oh my! Only four chapters left in our choose your own adventure tale. I wonder where **TeamBella23** is going to take it? Well, if it's anything like her E/J story **McFearless**, it's going to be a fun ride!_


	27. TeamBella23

**I do not own Twilight.**

**It's a little known secret that I begged to be apart of The Big Gay Story; I'm pushy that way. Hopefully I don't fuck it up. It's a possibility. I'm new(ish) at this third-person point of view stuff.**

**Who wants boysecks? **_**I do. **_**Who's tired of the drama? **_**I am. **_**Who thinks socks are less gay? **_**Meeeeee!**_

**UNF4Rob is my beta. **

**Special thanks to Fardareismai2 and loveeac for helping out. **

* * *

"So much for giving it a week," Edward mumbled, taking another shot. "So much for pep-talks with your mother. So much for dignity and resistance."

After Edward received a message from Jasper stating that, while he respects Edward's need for time, he can take his time and shove it up his tight ass, Edward left work and headed straight toward the local bar. He knew if he stayed in his office it would only be a matter of time before Jasper gave up leaving phone messages and started showing up at his door.

"And you know what else? Fuck horses." No one was really paying attention to Edward Cullen. He was half-past-drunk, and nobody expected more from a guy in a bar in the middle of the afternoon. All outbursts and inappropriate behavior were accepted, appreciated, and sometimes posted on the internet. "Who the fuck rides a horse to Canada anyway?" Edward loosened his already loose tie and took a bite of the shitty hamburger he ordered. He watched the patty fall out the other end and gave up. Wiping his fingers off on a napkin, he pushed the plate away. "Fuck hamburgers, too."

"I didn't ride a horse to Canada, Edward," Jasper said, taking a seat next to his lushy, horse hating, lover.

Edward was right to assume that Jasper would show up at his office when his messages went unanswered. He may have been acting borderline stalker, but Jasper knew what he wanted, and he wasn't willing to wait another week before they made their relationship official again. He left four messages and didn't get a reply to one, which was just plain rude and fucking uncalled for.

Too fidgety and frustrated to work, Jasper decided to take a stroll by Edward's office. He knew he was pushing his luck by showing up unannounced, but he needed to see Edward face-to-face. Jasper was going to put a stop to the drama so they could start their lives together. He had a lot of apologizing to do. It had been wrong of him to sleep with Riley, and it had been wrong of him to ever expect Edward to sit back and wait while he did. Edward had cheated, but he'd apologized, and had since jumped through hoops to earn Jasper's trust back. Now it was his turn to repent. He would beg, cry, scream, sob and fucking wail if he had to, but he was getting Edward back.

Jasper wandered toward Edward's division of the building, keeping his hands in his pockets and his shoulders held high. He tried to think of an excuse to justify his unexpected appearance; he couldn't think of one. Besides, he was tired of hiding behind excuses. Jasper was ready to tell the truth: he was in love with Edward. Jasper would tell him this, and no matter what Edward's reaction was, at least he would know. Edward could accept it or he could… _well_, no, Edward's only option was to accept it, as far as Jasper was concerned.

Of course everything was always easier said than done. Jasper walked past Edward's office only to find empty. He tried to open the door but it was locked. Jasper knew Edward had gone to work, he followed him in this morning.

Jasper fought the urge to kick, stomp, and tramp his foot as anger replaced aggravation. _How dare that motherfucker ditch me_, he thought. Acting like a four-year-old boy wasn't normally how Jasper behaved. He was a father and a professional, who generally acted as such. Unfortunately for Jasper, everyone had a breaking point, and Edward's empty office was his.

Instead of vandalizing Edward's workspace like he wanted to, Jasper took his happy-ass back to his own office, where he grabbed his car keys. After accepting the fact that he was officially a creeper, Jasper slipped out of the building undetected and began his search for Edward.

It was noon on a Monday, and Jasper wasn't exactly sure where to start looking, so he just drove, and drove, and drove, developing a mean case of road rage. He couldn't believe how stupid and inconsiderate people were; didn't they know that his love life was on the line? Didn't anyone ever use their fucking blinker? Didn't anyone in this damn town know what a stop light was?

Just when Jasper was about to get out of his car and beat some unknown cabbie with his briefcase for cutting him off on the worst day of his life, he spotted Edward's car parked in-front of a bar. After he calmed himself, Jasper took a moment to apologize to the cabbie, explaining that his anger was misguided. "You see, my boyfriend doesn't want to be my boyfriend anymore, and I'm under a lot of strain. I wasn't _really_ going to hit you with my briefcase."

The cabbie didn't give a shit.

While Edward was losing the battle against his hamburger, Jasper was parking his car beside Edward's, debating on whether he should slash Edward's tires or break out a few windows. Deciding that both options were terrible ideas, he straightened out his shirt and stepped inside of the bar, ready to retrieve what had always been his.

What Jasper discovered was almost comical, if not horribly sad. Sitting at the bar, half-undressed, was Edward, channeling his inner most David Hasslehoff. Edward was a drunk mess, which wasn't really anything new, but he was mumbling shit about horses, and Canada, and odd threesomes. The reminder of their failed weekend broke Jasper's heart, and he was ready to take his boy home to mend it.

Edward, on the other hand, was not interested in going anywhere with Jasper. _Traitor_, Edward thought as Jasper settled in beside him. If Edward wasn't so concerned about giving his hamburger another go, he would have smashed it in Jasper's face for showing up without being invited. This was his pity-party and he could cry if he fucking wanted to.

Shoving a greasy hamburger in your ex's face probably wasn't the brightest or most mature idea, but hadn't they been trying to make mature decisions this entire time? And where had that gotten them? In a bar, on a Monday afternoon, tired, frustrated, and alone. Maturity wasn't working for them anymore. What they needed was a good old-fashion fist fight. Edward was going to fight Jasper, and there was nothing that anyone could do to stop him.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Jazz?" Edward stood up, ready to go for blows. Jasper didn't really understand what was going on, but he didn't feel the need to be concerned. Edward looked upset, but he wouldn't really hit him. _Would he?_

Jasper turned himself on the bar stool, facing Edward. "I want to talk." He tried to keep his voice down. This bar didn't look like it was full of bigots, but it didn't exactly look gay friendly either. He was sure the last thing the bar owner wanted, or needed, was two gay men squabbling it out like a couple of chicks.

"Well, I don't want to talk. I want to fight." Edward bounced on his feet, looking totally ridiculous. He pushed up his sleeves and pushed Jasper by the shoulder, ready for him to retaliate.

Jasper looked down at his shirt where Edward had pressed him. He wasn't mad, in fact, he was anything but upset. This was good. They had spent all of their time, until now, acting emo and angsty. Jasper couldn't remember the last time he had been in a fight. Surely, it was before Bella, and this felt nice. It made him feel like a man. It made him feel alive.

Adrenaline pumped through Edward and Jasper's veins as Jasper stood up, meeting Edward head-to-head. Jasper pushed Edward back, loving the shocked look on his ex's face. "You want a fight, I'll give you a fight," Jasper said, rolling up his own sleeves.

Edward, who was feeling a bit woozy, stumbled back after Jasper shoved him. He also couldn't remember the last time he had been in a fist fight, but like Jasper, Edward enjoyed the rush of excitement. It was energizing and refreshing. It was rejuvenating and uplifting. Jasper probably shouldn't be the person he started a fight with, but who else was there? No one else was more important to Edward… no one else made him as angry or as desperate. There was only Jasper.

Amping himself up for the fight, Edward thought about their shoddy relationship, and how fucked up it had been in the beginning. Edward had been wrong to cheat on Jasper, but Jasper had been in the wrong too. He'd cheated on Edward emotionally, and in some way, that was just as fucked up.

Edward never got any credit for dealing with Peter and those stupid video tapes. Jasper never gave Edward any recognition for his relationship with Bella. He was always accepting and loving to his daughter, but Jasper never thanked him for that, did he? No, Jasper was hung up on all of the bad stuff. Jasper was all about Jasper, and Edward was sick of it.

On the other end, Jasper thought about their relationship from a different perspective. Edward had cheated on him when he was at his lowest point. Edward had betrayed, and in some way, abandoned him when he needed him the most. Can anyone ever really get over that?

Both men were about to find out.

Edward and Jasper were equally as angry, but Jasper had a hand up, he was sober. So when Edward lunged toward Jasper with his dukes up, it wasn't hard for Jasper to avoid getting hit. He simply moved a step to the left and laughed as Edward stumbled around.

"Stay still," Edward grumbled, situating his footing. Edward's problem was that he didn't realize _how_ drunk he really was. In his condition, he was asking for an ass-beating, but Edward was oblivious.

Jasper on the other hand, knew exactly how drunk Edward was. "Are you sure you want to do this, Edward?"

The two fighters had yet to grab the attention of the other bar patrons, but it wouldn't be long. Especially after what Jasper had planned. He was going to mop the floor with Edward, then take him home and fuck him.

"Fuck you," Edward growled, flying toward Jasper for the second time. This time he pulled a bar stool down with his foot and took it along for the ride.

After tripping on the legs of the stool, Edward slammed into Jasper, but it was more of a "catch" than a "slam." It was sloppy and earned the boys a couple of dirty looks. Jasper was quick to push Edward away. "I'll give you one more chance to back down, Edward," he said, squaring his shoulders.

"Fuck your chances, horse rider," Edward slurred, placing the stool back at the bar.

It wasn't until then that Jasper took at really good look at Edward. He looked like a disaster… but beautiful, for lack of a better word. Jasper has always thought that Edward was good looking. Their physical attraction was what drove them together in the first place, but _really_ looking at Edward, Jasper was breathless, speechless, and without anger.

But there was always humor.

Edward's hair had always been a cliché. Typical gay man… Jasper's dick was getting stiff just thinking about running his hands through it. Edward liked that shit. He liked to be touched and spoken to softly. On the outside Edward was masculine and strong, but on the inside he was a fucking chick.

Jasper loved this man, and that had never been more apparent than it was in that moment. He was still going to rough him up for starting this shit in a bar, but he wasn't as mad as he was before.

"I didn't ride the horse to Canada, dip-shit. My car broke down…" Jasper didn't have a chance to finish his sentence before Edward, who felt uncomfortable with the way Jasper was looking at him, struck again.

Edward laughed as his fist connected with Jasper nose. It was a bitter-sweet victory, though, and one without depth. As soon as he hit him he felt bad. Edward backed away, pulling on his own hair. He wanted to hurt Jasper, but he didn't want to make him bleed. It was supposed to be fun.

"You asshole!" Jasper yelled.

"I'm sorry. I… I didn't… shit!" Edward, with a new-found respect for his strength, tried not to laugh despite feeling horrible.

He felt bad, but not _that_ bad. Jasper kind of deserved it.

The boys had a problem; they we're successful at making themselves look like a couple of bitter chicks. The bar owner had been keeping an eye on the two since Jasper had walked through the door. Scuffles happened all of the time, but it was too early for this shit, and the two men had to go before things got out of hand.

Jasper noticed the bar owner before Edward did. He knew they were about to get kicked out, and Jasper wasn't about to go out like that. The smirk on Edward's face made his blood boil, and Jasper knew that he looked weak because his nose was bleeding, but he justified it by telling himself that he only had a weak nose.

"That didn't hurt, dick," Jasper said, wiping his nose on the sleeve of his shirt. "It's not even bleeding that bad."

Edward didn't believe him. "Sure," he said, with a roll of his eyes. "That will teach you not to fuck with me."

The bar owner was gaining distance, and if Jasper was going to make a move, it had to be now. While Edward laughed and made fun of Jasper, he took advantage. Swinging his arm back, Jasper struck.

Only it kind of, sort of, sucked.

Edward wasn't expecting to be hit, so the smack still came as a surprise, but it felt more like a bee sting than a punch. And he was pretty fucking sure that Jasper made a "_Eh!_" sound as he slapped Edward across the face. It was laughable at best, and that's exactly what Edward did, he laughed.

Laughing only made Jasper more upset. He didn't mean to smack him, his intentions were cruel, but when it came down to it, maybe Jasper was just a chick too.

But chicks could pull hair, couldn't they? And that's what he did, Jasper pulled hair.

The bar owner stood back and watched Jasper and Edward fight like girls, and for a moment he considered letting them stay, but he changed his mind and broke up the brawl. The blonde one, who was doing the hair pulling, was hard to get off the off the brunette one, who was doing the cussing, but eventually he got the two men pulled apart. "You're outta' here," he said with a chuckle.

This one was going down in the books.

.

.

.

The boys shared a cab home.

It was a quiet ride; a ride filled with tension and disappointment.

"I'm sorry…" Edward started, but Jasper cut him off with a shake of his head.

Two minutes later it was Jasper who tried to apologize. "I shouldn't have…" Edward stopped him with a look of an eye.

Five minutes later the cab driver pulled up to Jasper's house. Both men tried to pay. The cabbie took all of the money and smiled.

Jasper didn't want to go into the house alone, and Edward didn't want Jasper to go in without him. So they both got out without a word. Which worked.

Edward stood behind Jasper as he unlocked the front door. Jasper opened the door but let himself in first. Edward turned on the lamp in the living room. Jasper took off his bloody shirt, allowing it to fall to the floor. Edward took off his shoes and kicked them into the hallway. Jasper went into the kitchen. Edward followed.

If there was one thing Edward hated, it was when people drank straight out of the carton. And watching Jasper with the orange juice tipped at his mouth made him furious. Edward didn't know why he was there. He should have went home. There were not that many good memories made at Jasper's, and now Edward could add orange juice drinking to that list of bad moments.

"Get a cup," Edward said, pulling out a chair to sit at the table.

Jasper got two.

After giving Edward a couple of Tylenol, they each drank a few glasses of O.J. and stared at each other while their minds spoke the words they wanted to say. It was the middle of the afternoon, but both were emotionally exhausted. Edward sighed and Jasper yawned, and for them, it was as good as saying "Lets go to bed" because it's what they did.

They slept all damn day, too.

.

.

.

Sometime around midnight Edward woke up; Jasper slept beside him. Despite everything that had happened, he was happy that Jasper had found him at the bar. He was too drunk to realize it earlier, but a week was too long to wait when you already knew what you wanted. Edward made fun of Jasper, but riding a horse to Canada was a big deal. It meant love.

"I didn't ride that horse to Canada," Jasper mumbled, turning toward Edward.

"I didn't know you were awake."

"I wasn't, but I had a dream about a horse and I woke up." Jasper smiles.

A quick moment of silence passed between the men; so much to say, but unsure which words to use. Words such as: love, disloyalty, forgiveness, and contentment. Enough was enough, and they had both had enough.

Now it was time to play… or fuck. _Whatever_.

Edward made the first move, scooting himself closer to Jasper. Both men smiled goofy, shit-eating smiles. It was kind of like their first time, awkward and shaky. Edward licked his lips before he kissed Jasper. They both kept their hands to themselves while their mouths got to know each other again.

The kiss was slow and needy. Then: fast and greedy. Then: rough. Then: tough.

Before Edward and Jasper realized what was happening, the slow reconnection transformed into a desperate game of _who can take off their clothes first_. They worked on each other's clothes, then their own, then each other's again. Belts were whipped out of loop holes, and pants were tugged on with force.

Edward took his socks _off_ because sex with socks _on_ was gay.

Edward, who was on his knees between Jasper's legs, already had his cock out. He stroked himself above Jasper's chest, while Jasper was scooting, and situating, and struggling, and out-maneuvering his pants. But he was stopped dead by the sight of Edward.

With one sock on, and one sock off, one pant leg-on, and one pant-leg off, Jasper propped himself up on his elbows and watched Edward up-close and personal. Jasper had seen Edward's dick before, but every time was better than the last. He was well portioned and nicely colored. Those might be weird things to notice, but some dicks were fucked up, and he was glad that wasn't the case with Edward. Edward's dick was the perfect size, and it looked like it tasted like sugar.

_Yeah, his cock looked sugar coated._

"Mouth. Mouth. Mouth," Edward stumbled, fumbled, and mumbled.

Jasper nodded.

Before Edward slipped his dick between Jasper's lips, he gave him a little slap of his own: a cock-slap right across the face. He did it again before Jasper had a chance to react, only this time the bar-bell from his cock-ring hit jasper's teeth, causing a "_clink_" sound. "That's for fucking Riley," Edward said as he stroked himself into Jasper's mouth.

Jasper had never been dick-slapped before, but he found it kind of ironic. He didn't hate it, but he could have done without being hit in the teeth, though.

Edward held onto the head board while he fucked Jasper's mouth. _He looks so fucking pretty_, he thought as he watched Jasper take all of him over and over. Jasper held onto Edward hips, subtly directing his motions. There wasn't one thing that was sexy about gagging while sucking someone off; Jasper's wasn't exactly a pro, but he knew how much his throat could take…

"Don't ever fucking leave me," Edward whispered as his body began to convulse. "Please. Please. Please."

Jasper listened as Edward humped his face. His heart was pounding through is chest; it was kind of hard to reassure someone that you were never going to leave them while a dick was in your mouth, but Jasper did his best by swirling his tongue around Edward's length and using a little bit of teeth.

There were a lot of confessions from Edward while he was deep inside of Jasper's mouth: I love you. I need you. I'm so fucking sorry. I love horses. But none of them were as important as one: I want you here, now, and forever.

Their eyes met, and as soon as they did, Edward pulled out. Jasper sat up on his knees, and with their cocks pressed between their stomachs, they kissed and made up.

For real.

They really made up this time.

They were boyfriends again.

_Finally._

There were a lot of smiles and a lot of laughter. They spoke between kisses, more words of apology and regret. But soon those words ran out and they spoke a little of love, because love was the easy part. They had been in love since the moment they laid eyes on each other. It was always the other shit that was hard, but now they were past that… now they could move on.

It was like Riley never existed.

Or Jake.

Or Garrett.

_Errr…_

Or Peter.

And as far as Jasper was concerned, or Seth.

"Let me?" Edward asked, lowering Jasper onto his back. He stayed between his legs and kissed on his neck some. "Let me love you. Let me be inside."

Jasper inhaled a sharp breath; he wasn't really a fan of being the receiver, but in this case, he would do anything for Edward. "Okay," he agreed, trying _not _to clench his butt.

"It won't hurt. I'll be slow. I'll be careful." Edward could feel Jasper's reluctance, but it didn't stop him from leaning over and grabbing the lube off of the nightstand. When his fingers were slick, he slowly moved them inside of his boyfriend.

Edward watched Jasper intently as he worked his fingers in and out. He wasn't in a hurry. There was no rush. This wouldn't be a dip-n-leave like the last time they were together. This was to be savored and remembered for days, and months, and years to come.

"So, so good," he whispered over Jasper's lips.

Jasper tried to smile, but sometimes you just can't get used to having something up your ass. He remembered that this was Edward, and with him, everything was okay. This was Jasper's way of showing Edward that he trusted him.

As much as Edward liked watching Jasper this way, he needed more. He needed to be deep inside, deeply connected. He kissed Jasper while he pulled his fingers out. Edward hooked his arm under Jasper's knee and opened him up widely enough to line himself up. "Slow," Edward whispered, slowly gliding himself in.

Jasper fisted the bed sheets and arched his back. He was speechless. He was breathless. He was stretched, and engorged, and full.

He was so fucking in love.

Edward had a hard time forming a coherent thought. He only felt Jasper. It was overwhelming, but welcomed. This seemed worth it, though. Everything they had been through had been worth it if it meant he got to keep this forever.

Together they found a good rhythm. They held hands and messed up the bed sheets. They took turns. They slept, and woke up, and took turns again. They took showers and smiled. They made plans because they didn't want to be apart again. They went to Edward's place because the new plans consisted of Edward moving in with Jasper.

They called Bella and told her. She didn't care.

She was happy.

She complained about Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber kissing on the beach because she was a teenager.

Then she said: "Hey, Dad?" Then Jasper said: "What, baby?" Then Bella said: "Do you love Edward like a love song?"

They went out for a drink because moving is hard. Guess who they saw?

"Edward," Jasper whined, recognizing the fight in his boyfriend's eyes.

Edward set his beer down and kissed Jasper on the temple. "I'll be right back."

Jasper thought Edward looked good in his dark, slim-straight denim jeans and chucks. He also thought that the green v-neck made his eyes look nice. Jasper knew he should probably stop his denim, green-shirt, chuck wearing fighter, but he didn't have the energy. Instead, he cringed as Edward's fist made itself a new home Riley's teeth.

Was it fair that Edward hit Riley? _Nah._

But who cared?

Probably Riley, but who cared about him?

.

.

.

* * *

**AN: Thank you so much for the opportunity. I waited very impatiently for my turn. I hope I did okay…**

**My very dear friend, theladyingrey, is up next.**

**Thank you, TB23**

**Yoga & PP A/N: **We are superduper sorry for the delay on our part. Yoga was away in NYC eating way too much delicious food and PerfectlyPersuasive was just too darn hot & lazy dealing with crazy temps over 100 this weekend. Blame us for the delay! But...if you want more **TeamBella23**, hope on over to her profile and read the completed _McFearless_ (with or without socks!).

Only 3 chapters left...join us next week when **theladyingrey** takes her turn with our boys!


	28. TheLadyInGrey

Thanks to YogaGal and PerfectlyPersuasive for inviting me to join this big crazy gay family, and thanks to bmango, naelany and coolbreeeze for their help with this chapter.

oOo

Edward glanced at his watch for the twentieth time since they'd been sitting there, only to see that the numbers had scarcely changed. Night had already come and gone (not that he'd slept), and he imagined it was even light outside by now. Squirming against the hard bench, he brought a hand up to rake his fingers through his hair in a frustrated gesture, an automatic habit. The instant his fingertips met scalp, he winced, though.

"I told you, you've got to stop doing that," Jasper hissed.

Still too embarrassed by his behavior of the night before, Edward just nodded and refused to look up. Maybe he'd been drugged. Roofies? Or, more realistically, PCP? How else could he explain starting a barroom brawl over his own petty jealousy? Again. For the second time in a week.

As masochistic as ever, he gently pressed against the tender skin above his eyebrow. It was still swelling, but at least he didn't seem to be bleeding anymore. The bruise felt like it ran all the way down the side of his face, and he suspected he was going to have one hell of a shiner.

Instinctively, his gaze flicked across the room to the other figure perched there, looking miserable. And alone. Edward's torn lip smarted as he smirked, recognizing with a certain satisfaction that Riley looked a hell of a lot worse than he did. A nasty blood stain dribbled from his nose, over his chin, and the whole front of his shirt was a ghastly-looking red.

Really, Jasper had been the only one to escape relatively unscathed from the fight; his only battle wound had been a kick to the ribs from when he'd tried to pull Edward and Riley apart. Edward was ninety percent convinced that Riley had been the one to inflict that particular injury, but in the rush, it had been difficult to be completely sure. Regardless, in retaliation, Edward had broken the curator's nose. Damn if that hadn't felt good.

The adrenaline was just starting to pump through his veins again at the memory of how his fist felt, colliding with Riley's face, when Edward heard the welcome sound of footsteps on the concrete floor outside the cell, and his head whipped up. The pain that resonated through his skull was the only thing to temper his excitement when the officer stepped forward and called out, "Cullen? Whitlock?"

Headache or no, Edward leapt to his feet faster than you could say, "Get the lube." But he paused when he noticed exactly how attractive the officer was, a tight body in an even tighter uniform. Without thinking, Edward reached back for Jasper's hand, clutching it possessively as he chanced a glance at his lover's face. Fortunately, if Jasper was interested in the policeman, he gave no sign of it, and Edward forced himself to loosen his grip.

As they followed the man out of the dingy cell and on into the equally dingy hallway, Edward had to remind himself that they were past all of that. The time for fucking anything with two legs and a dick was over. Now, it was all about the two of them. Jasper and Edward. Fucking each other. And only each other. No one else.

No matter how good someone else's ass looked in a nice, tight policeman's uniform...

Jasper's hand squeezed painfully at Edward's bruised knuckles. "Eyes up," he whispered, a hint of a threat in the back of his throat.

Blushing at having been caught, Edward forced his gaze to meet that of his lover's, scrambling for a good story. "I was just looking at his handcuffs, baby. Gives me ideas, you know."

He thought Jasper mumbled something like, "Could use a damn spanking. Knock some sense into you..."

Just the idea made Edward hard. But then the officer pushed through the double door at the end of the hallway, revealing the most erection-killing sight Edward could imagine.

"Um," he croaked, coming to a stop just inside the door. "Hi, Mom."

Esme Cullen turned around, and for a second, Edward watched the expression of abject horror that spread across her face as she beheld her son and his partner. She schooled her expression quickly, but Edward could still feel the sting of her disappointment. He recalled the shame of their last conversation, when she had laid out their whole tawdry story in such plain language, forcing him to see every misstep and every wrong turn. He remembered how she'd insisted that he go slow.

Clearly, that had worked out great.

"Edward," she said stiffly before turning back to another officer seated behind the desk. "Are we free to go then?"

The man looked down at a pile of paperwork, then nodded. "Mr. Cullen and Mr. Whitlock are free to go. Unless Mr. Biers decides to press charges."

The enormity of what he had done struck Edward cold all over again. He could be facing jail time. Fines. What it could do to his career alone, the effect this would have on his ability to interact with clients. If it got out...

Jasper interrupted, "I'm sure he won't."

Edward just managed to suppress a growl. "Are you trying to imply you still have an 'in' with him?"

"Don't be stupid," the blond admonished, jabbing Edward in the ribs and finding a whole new patch of bruises. "I'm trying to say that he's just as responsible as you are."

"But I threw the—"

"_Shut up_," Esme hissed as she reached for her son's arm. Knowing her tone entirely too well, Edward let her lead him out of the precinct and toward her car, feeling like he was all of twelve years old again, and that he was in a hell of a lot of trouble.

Sure enough, once they were outside, his mother rounded on him, eyes flashing with unconcealed anger, her fists balled tightly at her sides. Her voice dripped ice. "Edward. Anthony. Cullen. Of all the stupid, brainless ... _fucked up_ things you have done in your life—"

"I know, I know, Mom," he said, trying to break in, but she would have none of it.

"Why, if you hadn't already been beaten to within an inch of your life..." She raised her purse menacingly, and Edward flinched, fully expecting her to use it.

"If it helps, the other guy looks much worse..."

As Esme's purse-wielding hand twitched higher, Jasper stepped forward and put a hand on Edward's wrist, adopting a protective stance that warmed Edward's heart. "Mrs. Cullen," Jasper began.

She rounded, freezing him in place with her stare. "And you. Jasper Whitlock. I have half a mind that I should have let you rot in there, except given your track record I didn't know what miscreant you would have ended up taking home with you."

"That's not fair—"

"_But_," Esme continued, "Edward informed me in his phone call that the two of you are 'together' now."

Edward moved to interlock his hand with Jasper's. "That's right," he said, chin high, eyes defiant.

Under his mother's withering stare, he felt his conviction waning, his posture softening, but he forced himself to stand as tall as he could, intent on presenting a united front. There would be no chinks in his armor. No doubt.

Finally, the inspection seemed to end, and Esme sighed before pressing the button to unlock the doors of her vehicle. Turning away from them, she muttered simply, "Get in."

Part of Edward's mind wondered what had happened to his usually warm, kind, if exceedingly blunt mother. The other part kept bitch-slapping the former and reminding it that she had just hauled his stupid ass out of jail, and that she was justified in being a bit put out.

As they drove, Edward in the passenger seat and Jasper behind him, the car was filled with an uncomfortable silence, broken only when Edward stammered out quiet instructions on how to get to the bar where they had left Jasper's car the night before. When they pulled up alongside it in the empty lot, the men couldn't get the doors opened fast enough, each spilling out with unmasked haste.

Before he closed the door behind him, Edward heard his mother call his name, and he turned back to face her. "Thank you," he began, but she cut him off.

"Dinner. Tomorrow night." Her eyes moved to gaze over her son's shoulder at Jasper. "Both of you."

Cold fear struck through Edward's heart. "I'm not sure—"

"I am. Seven o'clock."

Without another word, she redirected her gaze forward and shifted the car back into drive, waiting expectantly for Edward to close the door. When he did, she wasted no time in peeling out.

"I didn't know minivans could burn rubber," Jasper said, standing in awe beside Edward.

"That because you don't know Esme Cullen." Edward turned to look at Jasper, his expression severe. "But you're about to."

"God help us all."

oOo

Sure enough, the next night Edward and Jasper stood together on the stoop outside the Cullen house, each desperately gripping at the other's hand and waiting for someone to come and let them in.

Edward had brought boyfriends here before. Specifically, he'd brought Garrett here. His mother's unvarnished assessment of his ex rang in his ears, and he swallowed hard. Realistically, he knew that his family would be reasonably polite to Jasper. But what if they had the same opinion of him as they'd had of Garrett? Would it matter? They seemed solid now, but there was still something fragile to their new union, and he didn't know how deeply the roots could burrow if a seed of doubt was planted...

_No_, Edward told himself. This was it. They were together. And if his parents thought Jasper was a prick, well, then ... Maybe they'd be right. But Jasper was _Edward's_ prick. The prick he loved.

"Ready?" he asked quietly, feeling his pulse rocket even higher as he saw the light in the entryway flipped on.

"Ready."

A second later, the door swung open, revealing Esme Cullen. Gone was the expression of wrath from the day before and back was the warm, genuine smile that Edward was used to. "Boys! I'm so glad you could make it!" She drew first Jasper and then Edward into a hug. Only, as she pressed a kiss to her son's cheek, she whispered, too quietly for Jasper to hear, "Do not think you are out of the doghouse, mister. You still have your father to deal with."

"I do?" he squeaked.

"You bet you do." But when Esme pulled back, she was wearing her most beatific smile again, and she invited them in. "Your father is just finishing up with dinner."

As they entered the kitchen, Edward took in the familiar sight of Charlie Cullen standing over the stove. The older man turned, his mustached upper lip lifting in a wide smile as he nodded at them.

While Esme was a competent cook, Charlie had developed a real interest in it after he had retired from his medical practice a couple of years prior. As Esme moved to pour the boys each a glass of wine, Charlie gave the pot another quick stir and then wiped his hand off on his apron before hugging Edward and then extending his arm toward Jasper.

Jasper shook his hand readily, though he did shoot a quick, nervous look at Edward, who accepted the glass of wine from Esme and began to lift it to his mouth. "Hi, Mr. Cullen. It's nice to meet you."

"Please," Charlie scoffed. "Call me Charlie. I hope you like meatballs."

Wine sprayed everywhere as Edward choked. "Sorry! Sorry!" Still coughing, he set his glass down and moved for the paper towels.

Fortunately, Jasper recovered smoothly. After making sure Edward was all right, he addressed Charlie with a placid smile. "Not to worry, Charlie. I love meatballs."

Edward grimaced as he wiped the last of the spilled wine off the tile. "I know you do," he grumbled.

"What was that, dear?" Esme asked.

"Nothing. Nothing."

They sipped on their wine and made small talk as Charlie finished up dinner, and before long, they were all sitting down around the dining room table.

"So," Charlie said, clearing his throat and passing the rolls. "Esme tells me you boys spent a night in the slammer the other day."

Fortunately, Edward did not have any wine in his mouth at that particular juncture. "Listen, Dad," he sputtered, "it wasn't—"

"Your fault? What it looked like? How would you like to explain it, then?" Charlie's expression was completely unreadable; nothing about it indicated whether he was about to toast Edward's free-spirited exploits or tell him to go pick out a switch and drop trou.

"I—Um."

"It was really a big misunderstanding," Jasper said, breaking in. "An ex of mine was in the bar, and when he and Edward ran into each other, things got out of hand."

Charlie raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Out of hand enough for you to all spend a night in jail." Turning back to his son, his voice began to climb in volume until Edward was wide-eyed and straight-backed in his chair and ready to run. "Did you stop to think about what this could mean? For your career? For your family?"

"No," Edward choked out. "No, I didn't." His eyes connected with Jasper's, and he suddenly felt calmer. "All I could think about was him. And the idea of another man so much as breathing the same air."

Jasper's expression grew tender, his fingertips spreading out across the placemat. Had they been at home, Edward knew that Jasper would be reaching for him. He knew that, in the end, everything he had done had been for love, and that the person who meant the most to him in this world knew it.

Unexpected relief came from the other end of the table as Esme piped in, "Oh, come on, Charlie. Like you haven't done the same thing. Back when you were his age."

Charlie's face darkened. "Back when I was his age, I had a son! Responsibilities!"

The implication was clear.

"Well, fine, then," Esme continued, waving her hand dismissively. "When we were in our twenties." There was a soft smile on her face. If it hadn't been his parents talking about the rash things they had done in the heat of passion, Edward would have been moved. Or at least curious to hear more.

As it was ... Well, ew.

Again, Jasper's voice was calm as he tried to explain. "While Edward may have acted rashly, he's been nothing but responsible since we've found each other again." He paused, moving food around on his plate before skewering a meatball and staring at it contemplatively.

Edward couldn't help wondering if Jasper was thinking the same thing he was. About the carefree way they'd begun, back before all of their many, many mistakes. About how each of them had grown.

About how, in spite of that growth, they both still liked their meat.

And their balls.

Jasper continued, "He's been wonderful with my daughter. And wonderful to me."

Edward could think of a hundred exceptions to that statement. The punching and the dick-slapping, for starters. But he'd dick-slapped Jasper as a sign of love, right?

At the mention of a child, Esme's expression softened even further. "Tell us about your daughter. Bella, right?"

"Well, she's eleven, and..."

As Jasper described his daughter, Edward watched the man's entire face light up, the love he held for the little girl so obvious in every word he spoke, every gesture, every mannerism. Edward knew all of this, of course, but there was something special about seeing it here, in his own childhood home. It was different seeing it now that the two of them had really committed to each other.

Something wistful and warm opened up inside Edward's chest, a longing he'd never really given the opportunity to grow before. He thought about the idea of a family of his own. A family he made with Jasper.

And he wanted it. He wanted it more than he'd ever wanted anything before.

The unexpected emotion was rising up in his throat, when he suddenly found all of his attention refocusing on what Jasper was actually saying.

"... and she's been so great about the whole Edward moving in thing..."

A dozen red warning lights went off in Edward's head, and he sat up straight in his chair, eyes darting from Jasper's face to each of his parents' shocked ones.

_Abort! Abort! Abort!_

Jasper seemed to realize what he'd said about a second after everyone else did, and he stopped mid-sentence, allowing an uncomfortable silence to descend over the table.

Voice crackling with barely manageable restraint, Esme was the one to break it. "You two are moving in together."

"Um," Edward stammered. "Yes?"

His mother's napkin hit him squarely in the face. Apparently that was the end of restraint. "What happened to taking it slow?"

Edward winced, but his new realization about what he wanted from this relationship made him bold. There was a _rightness_ to this. "What can I say, Mom? When it's right, it's right."

Moving in with Jasper was _right_.

Esme began firing off questions from every direction, Charlie breaking in too from time to time, and Edward scrambled to defend his decision. Jasper mostly sat back, mouthing a silent, "Sorry!" from time to time, but then his phone rang. He snuck a glance at it and then shot Edward another apologetic look. "Charlotte," he said quietly, rising from the table. "I have to."

Edward sighed, but nodded. Still suffering his parents' judgment, he kept one eye on his boyfriend as he stepped just into the hallway and answered his phone.

Then Jasper's face when white as ash.

Suddenly, Edward's attention was focused entirely on Jasper. His parents' voices receded into a dull background hum, the walls and the table all blurring into a perfect tunnel vision, until all Edward could see was the beautiful man at the end of it.

Jasper spoke a few quiet words and closed the phone, then turned to Edward, the look on his face one of a man who was completely lost.

A man who needed him.

Edward's napkin hit the table, and he rose with nothing more than a mumbled, "Hold that thought." He didn't spare his mother or his father a second glance as he rounded the table and came to stand before his partner. His hands instinctively sought out Jasper's, holding them tightly as he breathed, "What? What happened?"

Still deathly pale, Jasper's gaze went unfocused, and he closed his eyes. "It's Bella," he finally managed to get out.

Edward's heart went cold. "Jasper. Listen to me. You have to tell me."

"I don't know." Jasper opened his eyes again, but he still looked like he was in shock. "I think she's okay, but Charlotte didn't say what— Just that I need to get to the hospital. Now."

At Jasper's glazed stare and the coldness of his hands, Edward felt a deep pit of fear open up inside of him. The terror was a many-armed, unnamable thing.

Fear for the girl he'd come to love as if she was his own.

Fear for the way that Jasper had dealt with tragedy the last time.

Abject terror that he would push Edward away again.

"Okay," Edward choked out, struggling hard for a calm he didn't feel. "Do you want..."

_Please_, a little voice in the back of his mind screamed. _Please don't shut me out this time._

Jasper's eyes suddenly snapped into focus. And in a single motion, they met Edward's.

"I want—" he started, before pausing, closing his eyes and then blinking them open again. "I _need_..."

Edward held his breath.

"I need you," Jasper whispered.

The hole beneath Edward's feet closed, and all at once, everything was manageable again. He was still terrified for Bella.

But they could do this. They _would_ do this. Together.

"I'm right here," Edward swore.

And from that point on, he was determined that he always would be.

oOoOoOoOo

**A/N:** TheLadyInGrey will be hiding in a cave until the next chapter. Please feel free to join her there if you come unarmed.

**Yoga & PP note:** Oh noes! Yikes! Eek! Guess we'll just have to see what **FarDareIsMai2** has to say about what happens to Bella in the next chap! Along with her fabulous slash, if you're looking for a wonderful (but different) BDSM fic...make sure to check out **TheLadyInGrey**'s story, Our Lives Unbound.


	29. FarDareisMai2

_A/N: A big thank you to YogaGal and PerfectlyPersuasive for inviting me to join this crazy adventure! It's been humbling to work with so many talented authors. Also, another very big thank you to lyricalkris and naelany for their beta work. Any mistakes still in here are all mine._

* * *

The glare of the unforgiving florescent lights washed out what little color was left on Jasper's face, and the odor of antiseptic, that hospital "smell," permeated the air, overpowering even the faint hint of soap on Jasper's skin. His body shook with his quiet sobs, but Edward held him, stroking his hair, making small shushing noises, and trying calm and comfort him.

After a few minutes, he felt Jasper stiffen and straighten up. Running his hand through his hair, and then scrubbing it over his face, Jasper looked exhausted. Edward wanted nothing more than to lie down and hold him more, but that wasn't going to happen any time soon.

They'd headed to the hospital right after Charlotte's call. Edward drove, keeping one hand on the wheel while Jasper clenched the other in a grip that bordered on painful, but Edward didn't mind. He was just grateful that he could finally be there for Jasper.

Jasper used the back of his hand to wipe the wetness from his face, and then Edward heard a low growl come from him.

"I'm going to kill him," he snarled and stalked forward.

Edward couldn't blame him, and as Jasper approached the young man at the other end of the hall, he didn't try to stop him either. Although, young "man" may have been an overstatement. Actually more of a boy, he stood clumsy and lanky, just shy of six feet tall, inhabiting that awkward space between man and child. With the bandage on his cheek, however, and Jasper and Edward bearing down on him, he looked every inch a child.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Jasper yelled. Just as he reached the boy, an older man stepped in front of him.

"Get out of my way, Harry."

"Jasper, I know how you feel, but—"

Edward wrapped his arms around Jasper, restraining him from attacking the boy or Harry. He didn't need to be thrown in jail again for starting a fight in a hospital or worse, actually killing the kid.

"You know how I feel?" Jasper sneered. "You? Know how I feel? Fuck you, Harry! It wasn't your daughter on that motorcycle!"

Harry stood his ground, hands raised in a placating gesture. "Embry screwed up, Jasper. Screwed up bad, but this isn't going to help anyone right now."

"I'm sorry," the boy cried out. "Mr. Whitlock, please, I'm so, so sorry."

"Sorry? Sorry?" Jasper yelled at the boy. "And look at you, with barely a fucking scratch!"

Embry cringed, but Edward continued to cling to Jasper, straining a little to keep him in check. He could feel the corded strength and the ripples of lean muscle in Jasper's arms and chest as he pulled against Edward's arms, feel Jasper's fists clenching and unclenching against his sides, and the just present tremor in his shoulders as he fought his rage. He wanted to say something, anything, to help diffuse the situation, but what? What words sufficed in such a situation? His own anger and unhappiness was a barely contained time bomb, and he was afraid to say anything that would set it, or Jasper, off any worse.

"Jasper?" Charlotte's soft voice cut through the shouting, silencing them all.

Charlotte's face was streaked with drying tears, but she managed a tremulous smile. "She's awake, Jasper. She's awake, and she wants her daddy."

Edward felt the fight drain out of Jasper and relaxed his hold on him, although he couldn't bring himself to let go completely.

"She's . . . she . . ." Jasper stuttered.

Charlotte laughed and cried and nodded. "Yeah."

Edward gave Jasper a quick hug, then pushed him forward. "Go. Your daughter needs you."

Jasper turned and stared at him. "Go," Edward repeated. "I'll be right here."

He wasn't going anywhere.

Jasper all but ran down the hall to Bella's room. Charlotte and Edward both laughed, and Edward heard a shaky voice behind him whisper, "Thank God."

He turned to see Embry squatting down, head in his hands, whispering his gratitude over and over, as Harry rubbed his back. Edward stared and tried to figure out exactly who they were.

"Thank you, Edward." Charlotte startled him out of his reverie.

"For what?"

"For being here for Jasper. For stopping him from doing something he'd regret," she said with a nod toward Harry and Embry.

"Who are they?"

"Harry and my father were good friends. Growing up we'd always come up here to the rez at La Push for vacations." Charlotte laughed. "And any time my dad really wanted to go fishing."

"Wait," Edward interrupted. "Harry . . . Harry Clearwater?"

"Uh, yeah," Charlotte replied. "How do you—"

"Oh, man, this world is just too small," Edward mused. "His son, Seth, is my assistant. So, Embry is Leah's kid, right?" Edward didn't get into the further complexities of his relationship with Jacob as well. He did remember Jake telling him about Seth's sister, a single mother, running out on Embry and leaving her father to raise her kid.

"This is too weird," Charlotte replied.

"Do you know what happened?" Edward asked, indicating Embry.

"I don't have all the details yet. They were _supposed_ to be hanging out with the other kids down on First Beach. I was over at the rec center on the rez helping a few of the teachers set up an art program for after school."

Since Embry had been stitched, x-rayed, and cleared, he was released to Harry, and Charlotte was finally able to get to the bottom of what had transpired. Edward was glad Jasper wasn't there to hear it. Better to get it second hand, after he saw for himself that Bella was alright.

It turned out that Embry had a fourteen year old's crush on Bella, who (as she kept reminding her mother and Jasper) was about to turn twelve and "not a little girl anymore." He'd been fixing an old, broken down bike in Harry's yard and had just gotten it working. Bella, being equally smitten with Embry, convinced him to take her for a test drive.

One stray dog, a not-that-well-repaired brake system, and a panicked, underage driver later, and Bella and Embry were being taken to the hospital in Forks, where Edward and Jasper had arrived after a couple of hours of too fast driving. At first, there wasn't much information available. All they knew was that Bella and Embry had crashed, and both were being treated.

Bella was unconscious, and the doctors weren't sure how serious the injuries to her head were, telling Jasper and Charlotte that only time would tell. It was an awful couple of hours, and Jasper tried to remain stoic, but when he got up on the pretense of getting yet another cup of coffee, Edward followed him out to the hallway. When Jasper leaned his forehead against the coffee machine and began to cry, Edward was there to hold him.

After talking to Embry and Harry, Charlotte encouraged them to go home, and Edward agreed. He thought things would be easier if Jasper had time to cool down before seeing Embry again. Which left Charlotte and Edward standing together, suddenly awkward in the unusual circumstances.

The awkward moment was broken when Charlotte spoke. "You're good for him, Edward."

Surprised by her comment, Edward replied, "How do you know?"

Charlotte's laugh was light and genuine. "Bella tells me a lot of things, but I can see it too. I watched the way you've been with him the last few hours, and although I know things between you two have been," she paused as though searching for the right word before saying, "complicated, I see the way you look at each other. There's a lot of love there, Edward."

Edward smiled. "I do. Love him I mean, and I think maybe we're getting it right this time."

"Good. It's about time you two got your heads out of your asses."

It was Edward's turn to laugh, but then he said, "And thank you, Charlotte."

At her confused look, he continued, "For accepting me. I know that anyone in Jasper's life, is part of Bella's life too, and well," it was Edward's turn to be at a loss for words, so he simply said, "thanks," then shoved his hands into his pockets and shuffled awkwardly, before Charlotte pulled him into a warm hug.

When Jasper had gone into Bella's room, he was flooded with relief. She looked up at him with her big, brown eyes full of tears and cried, "Daddy."

Gathering her in his arms as gently as he could, he just held her as she cried. He realized after a few minutes that he was stroking her hair and making small shushing noises, just as Edward had when they were standing in the hallway. A few weeks earlier, the thought would have given him pause. Yet in the aftermath of everything they'd endured, it only warmed him.

Jasper sat with Bella, listening to her version of what happened, getting angry at the thought of Embry and Bella having crushes on each other while also marveling at the fact that his little girl was, indeed, growing up. He'd been so busy trying be a good father to his "little girl," he didn't stop to notice that she was maturing. Sure, there'd been little moments—like the night in the kitchen when she and Edward made dinner—but he'd missed their significance.

When the nurse came in to tell him he had to leave, Bella extracted a promise from him that he wouldn't kill Embry. It was a very difficult one for Jasper to make, and he knew it would be even more difficult to keep, but he made it nevertheless.

Giving Bella another kiss on her forehead, Jasper told her he'd see her in the next day.

"Tell Edward I said hi."

"How did you—"

"You smell like him," she mumbled as she closed her eyes.

Jasper smiled at her comment, and as he walked out the door, he surreptitiously tried to smell his shirt. Catching his reflection in the window, he laughed at himself. As he approached the waiting area, he paused to take in the sight of Edward and Charlotte hugging, and felt his heart swell.

It wasn't just seeing Edward and Charlotte together, and knowing it meant that Bella's mom was okay with their relationship; it was Edward being his rock that night, and showing through actions, not just words, how much he loved Jasper and Bella. It was in the way he held Jasper's hand on the car ride, hugged him in the hallway, and held him back from attacking Embry. Edward's love was written in everything he did, and Jasper promised himself that he would always, always show Edward how much he loved him in return.

Jasper eyed them for a few moments before clearing his throat. Charlotte and Edward both jumped, before grinning in embarrassment. The news that Bella would be alright had them all giddy with relief, but Jasper could see the exhaustion tingeing Edward's eyes.

They made their way to the hotel room Edward had managed to secure, where they stripped completely and slid under the sheets, a big and little spoon curled up like one.

"Thank you," Jasper whispered into Edward's hair.

But Edward's soft snores were his only reply.

Edward woke to the feel of Jasper's warm, wet mouth wrapped around his cock. Clenching the sheets beneath him, he struggled to break through the haze of sleep that made him wonder if he was dreaming. A low groan reverberated through the room, and it took his sleep addled mind a moment to realize it came from him. He forced his eyes open and tried to watch as Jasper's lips slid up and down, spit slick and perfect, but the moment those blue eyes met his, Edward was done for. He came long and hard.

Eyes closed once more, he reached down, grasping for Jasper and pulled him up for a slow kiss, enjoying the feel of Jasper's long body pressed to his.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" he asked.

Jasper kissed along Edward's jaw. "I just wanted to thank you. For yesterday."

Edward's entire body stiffened before he pushed Jasper back. "I didn't do it for a blow job."

He couldn't understand how Jasper could think that. Is that what they amounted to? A series of tit-for-tat physical encounters?

Grabbing Edward's face with both his hands, Jasper growled, "Don't. Just don't. I _know_ you didn't do it for a blow job, and I didn't blow you as some sort of payment. I did it because I love you, and it's just one small way I can show you that."

"Oh," Edward answered. He felt stupid for jumping to conclusions, especially after everything he and Jasper had been through to be together.

"Yeah, 'oh,'" Jasper snarked back at him.

"I love you, too," Edward whispered.

His frustration with Edward evaporated, and he leaned down to kiss him again. "I know." He kissed Edward again and after a brief pause said, "Now, stop being a pain in the ass and get in the shower so you can drop me off at the hospital and go to work."

"I'm not going to work."

"What do you mean you're not going to work?"

"I called Carlisle last night and told him I'm taking the week off. We didn't know what was happening with Bella. Did you really think I'd leave you?"

Truth was, Jasper hadn't thought that far ahead the night before, but now that they knew Bella was going to be fine, he assumed Edward would need to get back to the office.

"No," Jasper said slowly, "but Bella's fine now, so you don't need to waste your vacation days."

"Who said it's a waste?" Edward realized that the two of them still needed a little more work on the whole love and communication thing. Instead of bristling though, he got out of bed and said, "We can use the time to pack my stuff."

As Edward walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower, Jasper replied, "It's gonna take a whole week to pack your stuff?"

Grinning, Edward stuck his head back out. "Well, I'm sure we could think of things to fill the time. You know, I always did have this fantasy about a moving truck and those straps on the walls . . ." he trailed off as he watched Jasper's gaze darken.

"Edward."

"Yes?"

Jasper stalked over to him, grabbed him by the back of the neck and whispered, "If I didn't have to get back to the hospital, I'd tie you to that bed and fuck you all day. Now, get your ass in that shower or I'm going to spend an hour teasing you for every minute you tease me."

Gulping, Edward was barely able to respond with a whimpered, "Okay," before Jasper spun him around and pushed him toward the shower with a sharp slap to his backside.

It was going to be a very long day.

One week later saw Bella back home with Charlotte, Embry still breathing (Jasper had never used so much self-restraint), and after some very interesting and creative use of the moving van, Edward and Jasper living together.

It was Saturday evening, but following a day moving the last of Edward's things in and rearranging the furniture—twice—neither of them wanted to do much but stay in and relax. Edward grilled and they sat outside to eat, enjoying the warm early summer evening. The backyard, possibly Edward's favorite part of the house, wasn't overly manicured or rigid. It had an almost wild quality to it and was filled with trees and other native plants, including wild blackberries.

The drumming of a woodpecker could be heard in the cedar tree, and the sun was only beginning to make its western descent. Jasper looked over at Edward, enjoying the way the sunlight filtering through the trees lit his hair, burnishing the copper until it was bright like a penny. He watched the movement of Edward's throat as he took a sip of his beer, and the way Edward's long fingers wrapped around the bottle. His eyes trailed down from Edward's neck to the defined shoulders and arms that were revealed oh-so-nicely by the beater Edward was wearing, and Jasper realized he was a lucky man.

A lucky man indeed.

"Jasper."

"Hmmm," he replied, distracted by his continued ogling of his boyfriend.

"Jasper!"

Jasper's eyes finally stopped staring at the large bulge in Edward's shorts, and he looked up to find Edward smirking at him.

"See something you like?" Edward teased.

Jasper nodded and crooked his finger at Edward, beckoning him. Still smiling, Edward set his beer down, stood, and walked over to where Jasper sat on the lounge chair, before straddling him. Jasper's warm hand wrapped around the back of Edward's neck and pulled him in for a kiss.

Soft, full lips brushed against each other, gentle at the start, until the first touch of Edward's tongue against his. Then it was messy and wet, with tongues, teeth, and heated breath. Wrapping his arms around Jasper's neck, Edward ground his crotch against Jasper's, his hard cock annoyingly trapped in his shorts. Jasper's fingers slid up into Edward's hair and gripped him tight, holding him still as he kissed him again, deep and claiming, stopping only when Edward whimpered and dry humped him again.

Breaking off with a chuckle, his hands dropped to Edward's lap and gave him a firm squeeze.

"Fucking tease," Edward groaned.

"I'm only a tease if I don't plan to do anything about it," Jasper replied, before promptly unbuttoning Edward's shorts and pulling them down. "Now up," he said, his hands on Edward's hips, encouraging him up until Edward's hard cock was in front of his face.

Jasper licked and sucked at the tip of Edward's cock, while Edward struggled to kick his shorts all the way off. Then, finally, he slid his wet lips over the entire length of it. With a whispered, "fuck," Edward tightened his grip on the back of the lounge chair and gave a little thrust of his hips.

He felt Jasper chuckle around his cock.

"Ass," Edward said, with another small thrust of his hips.

At that, Jasper pulled back and all Edward could think was _no, no, no, don't stop!_ Until Jasper said, "What an excellent idea," just before he slid lower, pulled Edward's ass right over his face, and licked a long, wet line behind Edward's balls.

"Christ, Jasper," Edward choked out.

Grabbing an ass cheek in each hand, Jasper pulled them apart, and then licked a return stripe from Edward's hole to his balls. Moaning, Edward spread his knees further apart and began to rock back and forth, as Jasper licked and sucked and tongue fucked him. A long finger slid in next to Jasper's tongue, and then another, until Edward was pushing back and fucking himself on Jasper's fingers, and pleading for more, more, more.

Letting go of Edward, Jasper grunted, "Yeah, yeah, more."

Edward looked down at him, feral eyed and flushed. "Fuck me. Now."

"Fuck yes," Jasper replied as he scrambled to undo his pants and push them down.

Meanwhile, Edward fished a condom and small pack of lube out of the pocket of his shorts, and Jasper dryly noted this was one time he wouldn't complain about Edward being as prepared as a boy scout. He grabbed the condom from Edward's hand and rolled down his cock.

Edward liberally coated Jasper's prick with the lube, before holding it steady and slowly impaling himself on it.

"Oh, fuck," Jasper muttered, as he clenched his teeth and resisted the urge to slam up into his boyfriend.

Edward rocked back and forth, back and forth, taking Jasper an inch at a time, until finally their bodies were flush. He stared down at him, until Jasper finally begged him to start moving, to please, please, oh god please, fuck him.

So Edward moved—sinuous and lithe, all rolling hips and clenching muscles. His head was thrown back and his hands rested in front of him on Jasper's chest, and his cock bobbed, thick and wet and needy, and when Jasper finally took him in hand, he came hard and fast and with a cry that all the neighbors surely heard, and all he could think was: _this is how it should be_.

They would have a lifetime of slow and tender, but _this_, this desperate, intense _fucking_, was something Edward loved. No one, not Garret, not Jake, not the nameless, faceless, one-night stands in the years between, had ever made him feel so good, so _wanted_.

When Jasper flipped them over and pressed Edward face down on the cushions, before driving into him again and again and again, taking his pleasure, chasing his own orgasm, all Edward could think was _yes, yes, yes_. And when Jasper came, muttering obscenities and falling sweaty and spent on Edward's back, only one word came to Edward's mind: _home._

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**Yoga & PP A/N:** Can we just get a collective "awwwwww!"? (and a little rawr! hee hee)

Big apologies for the delay on this chapter. Summer sort of hit us hard and between vacations, crazy weather and just life in general, it took a bit to get this out. But - it's here and chapter 30 (the last chap, ack!) will be on it's way in the next week or two. Big thanks to **FDM** for being her awesome self and writing such a great chapter. If you want to read more of her delicious slash, check out _Just Like Chocolate_ or _Finger Painting_ - two of our favs! You can find a link to FDM over at our profile. 

And finally - last but certainly not least, up next time PerfectlyPersuasive will tie up this collab with our last chapter. We'll save all of our thank yous and tears for then. Until next time! _  
_


	30. PerfectlyPersuasive

**A/N:** _Yeah... It's been a while. We still don't own these guys, no matter what we've put them through. This is it though, folks. The epilogue you've been waiting for. _

* * *

**62 Years Later**

"I loved Edward the first time I met him, and I'm pretty sure my dad did as well... even though it took a few years for them to get together. My dads were full of life and love for me, and I always knew they loved me because they told me almost every day. They also fought side by side for the right to marry, and I had the honor of standing by their side on the day that it finally happened and they became husband and husband." Bella paused here and wiped her eyes with the tissue that her son had so smartly given her. She thought she was going to be able to get through this without tears, but it was just so hard.

Even though her dads were in their early nineties, she still wasn't ready to say goodbye. If Edward hadn't been so stubborn... but that was just who he was. He was always ready for his next adventure. He didn't want to calm with age. Bella knew it was because her father was always behind him, supporting him at every turn.

Still, Bella was at least happy that they had died together, but she wished the police would have spared her the details of it all. Though, she wasn't surprised. Those two had always been crazy for each other. Still, to die in the middle of having sex...

She didn't like to really think about it.

Edward had gone first-heart attack. Then, after calling 911, Jasper had gone back to the bed to be with his husband. When the ambulance got there, they were both gone. It was almost as if Jasper had just given up.

Bella knew that his heart was broken. In all their years together, they were barely ever apart. There was no Jasper without Edward and no Edward without Jasper.

She smiled and dried her eyes. "I'd like to share a story with you all today. When I graduated high school, I got a scholarship to Dartmouth. My dads were so excited for me. On the drive to the school to drop me off, Edward was going on and on about how much fun I was going to have and the social aspects of school, but my dad was absolutely silent. Some of you I'm sure can remember how protective he was of me. My husband Embry can attest to that," Bella glanced at her husband, his face lined and his hair gray. Her three children and their spouses sat around him with their children. She was surrounded by love, but she was going to miss the love that can only come from one's parents. Her mother had died ten years earlier, and she had only made it through that because of her dads. She didn't think she was ever going to be the same now.

"Well, my dad was working himself up the entire ride to school, and about halfway there he just went off, muttering about the evil ways of men and the effects of alcohol and all these statistics about unwed college drop out teen mothers. He just went on and on. When he finally took a breath, Edward turned to him and said, 'Are you done now?'"

Bella laughed, the memory of them squabbling together like they always did, an old married couple long before they were just that.

"Then Edward turned and looked at me and winked before taking my dad's hand and calming him down in the way that only Edward could do. They were perfect for each other. They balanced each other out, and it just worked. I had a great example of what love was because of them, and I'm going to carry them with me until the end of my days."

The Pastor came forward and put her hand on Bella's shoulder, offering a small amount of comfort for the grieving woman. Bella closed her eyes for a moment, flashes of her dad's faces over the year running through her mind... all the love... all the support... all the silly arguments. She would cherish it always.

"Now Jasper and Edward's granddaughter, Vanessa, would like to say something," the Pastor spoke into the microphone. Vanessa stood and walked toward the front, giving her mother a hug as she made her way to the podium.

"I'm not one for speeches," she began nervously. She cleared her throat. "I will be forever grateful for my grandfathers. Without them, I'm one hundred percent positive that my teen-aged angst stage would have lasted forever. Even though I had gay grandparents, I was terrified about coming out. I knew I was a lesbian for as long as I can remember, but the thought of saying it aloud was so intimidating. I will always remember the day that I finally said it, finally admitted who I was. They had come to take me out to dinner, specifically requesting me and not my brother or sister, and I felt so special. I was fourteen at the time, but it still meant so much to me. Once we had ordered, Granddad E turned to me and said, 'So, your mother tells us you've been being a bit of an asshole." Vanessa laughed and smiled at her mother, Bella.

"Then, they both started sharing with me how they felt as teenagers and how trapped they felt. How freeing it was when they accepted themselves. How happy and good their life had been... and I just said it, told them I was a lesbian! Granddad Jay stood up and came over to my side of the table, wrapping me in a huge hug and then E did the same. They told me they loved me and they were proud of me. It was such a special moment."

Vanessa looked over at her partner, Sarah, and smiled before continuing. "Then, Granddad E asked me if it felt like a weight had been lifted. I told him it did, that I felt light and happy. Then, he said, and I won't ever forget it, 'So, you're going to stop being such an a-hole?'" Vanessa laughed. He never minced words, especially as he got older. "They let you know all the time that they loved you, but they weren't shy to tell you to stop being an 'a-hole' either. They were two of the best men I ever knew, and I'm so proud to call them my grandfathers."

Vanessa went and sat back with her family while the Pastor spoke a few more words. They bowed their heads and remembered the men that had meant so much to them, and then each took a turn walking by their caskets to say good-bye. After the graveside service, the tears turned to hugs and smiles as friends and generations of family gathered together at Bella's house. They drank bottles and bottles of wine and shared storied and laughs about Jasper and Edward. Tears were mixed in of course, but there was also a sense of peace and calm that the people in the house felt. They would miss them, but they just knew that Edward and Jasper were still together, wherever they were.

And, honestly, they couldn't ask for more for them.

**Meanwhile...**

"Out of all the stories that Bella could have told she chose that one?" Jasper remarked with a shake of his head. Edward looked over at his husband, looking fresh and young like the day they met. He smiled and then turned his face back toward the sun, letting the warmth wash over him.

"I like that story," Edward said.

"Of course you do," Jasper replied, sounding a bit exasperated. "You looked like the good guy!"

"Well, what about me?" Edward asked. "Vanessa told everyone that I called her an asshole when she was fourteen!"

Jasper laughed. "You did call her an asshole," he reminded his husband.

Edward scoffed. "I told her she was being a bit of an asshole. There is a huge difference between the two!"

Jasper put his sunglasses back on his face. "If you say so," he said with a smirk.

Edward crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you for the rest of Eternity." He glared out at the pool filled with half-naked men. It was definitely paradise.

Jasper smiled. "Love me, I guess," was his answer.

"You better be thankful I do!" Edward cut in.

Jasper reached over and grabbed his husband's hand, bringing it his lips. "I am unbelievably thankful and grateful and honored and-"

"Okay, I get it. Enough!" Edward interrupted, sound a bit perturbed still, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face. " I swear, you are such a sap."

"I am not," Jasper said with a shake of his head.

Edward gave his husband a pointed look over his sunglasses. "Babe, you died of a broken heart," he reminded him.

"Yeah, well you died while you were riding my-" Jasper was muffled by his husband's hand over his mouth.

"Okay, you win," Edward snapped.

Jasper smiled. "Yay! I win," he laughed, once his husband removed his hand.

"You are impossible," Edward said, but laughed all the same. Jasper grabbed Edward's hand that was resting on his chest, intertwining their fingers.

"Boys, cocktails in five in the disco!" The Cabana Boy shouted.

"Come on," Jasper said, tugging Edward as he stood up. Edward smiled and grabbed his towel. Before following the mass of men into the disco, Jasper pulled Edward close and kissed him.

"There is no one else for me but you," he stated sincerely, staring at his husband's unwrinkled face. That had been the one of the best parts of this whole Heaven thing - being young again.

Edward leaned in and kissed Jasper, letting his lips linger as he said, "There better not be!"

With those words and a smile on both their faces, they walked away hand in hand.

* * *

**Yoga note:** And so it ends. **PerfectlyPersuasive** put her own fabulous special spin on this epilogue. If you want to read more fabulosity from her, check out her awesome WIP, _A Tangible Dichotomy_ (and bust out the pom poms and encourage her to finish it. *ahem*). A link to her profile can be found in our favorites.

**Yoga/PP note:** Now - a massive apology that it took so long to get the epilogue out. Crazy times & real life got in the way. No excuse, but it's what we've got.

That being said... WE DID IT! We set out to create a collab of fab fic authors...not knowing what the story was or where it was going, and it happened. There were some twists, some turns, some unexpected curve balls, but we did it. Thank you to all the authors that participated, and thank you to everyone has who read, reviewed, and stuck with us throughout this crazy experiment! Make sure to check out the authors we've featured, as they've all been up to something in the past few months.

Until next time... ;)


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